Former Ogun State governor and serving senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has accused the state government of plotting to demolish his private residence, hotels, and an annex in Sagamu.
In a statement on Thursday, his media aide, Steve Oliyide, said the development was “very displeasing” and called on the public and relevant security agencies to take note.
According to Daniel, persons claiming to be agents of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration pasted Notices of Contravention, Quit Notices, and demolition threats on three of his properties — the Asoludero Court, Sagamu; the Conference Hotels Limited, Sagamu; and its annex — all on 8 August 2025.
“We strongly condemn this latest act of political persecution by Governor Dapo Abiodun. The recent issuance of these notices is a clear demonstration of the governor’s malicious and vindictive abuse of power, hiding behind a newly enacted law retroactively to target a political opponent,” Oliyide said.
He explained that the notices cited “suspected” offences of building without proper permits, describing the claims as “ludicrous” since the Asoludero Court was completed in 2004, the Conference Hotel in 2013, and the annex in 2015.
Oliyide further alleged that the state was attempting to apply the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022 to demolish structures erected long before it came into effect, adding that the quit notices also violated due process, which requires clear intervals between contravention notices, quit orders, and penalties.
“If indeed there was any contravention, it does not warrant an immediate demolition threat. The Abiodun administration has completely bypassed procedure, issuing a ‘Notice of Contravention’ and a ‘Notice to Quit’ simultaneously with an immediate demolition threat. This is not a legal process; it is a thuggish tactic designed to intimidate and inflict damage,” he said.
The statement also referenced the September 2023 midnight demolition of DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode — a property owned by Daniel’s wife, Yeye Olufunke Daniel — which was allegedly carried out on the governor’s orders.
Daniel noted that the case remains in court, with the state government having lost multiple applications at the Ogun State High Court and the Court of Appeal in Ibadan.
“Governor Dapo Abiodun is taking political vindictiveness to a shameful and dangerous level, with no regard for existing laws or basic decency. We urge all well-meaning citizens, human rights groups, and legal bodies to condemn this egregious abuse of power,” he said.
“We will not be silenced in the face of this injustice and will explore every legal avenue to hold the governor accountable.”