The senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, Gbenga Daniel, sent a WhatsApp message to supporters ahead of the August 16 Remo Federal Constituency by-election in Ogun State, asking them to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Bola Oluwole, facts have shown.
Daniel, who was subsequently suspended by Ward 4 of Sagamu Local Government and had the suspension ratified by the State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, was exposed via a message he sent on the WhatsApp platform, asking his supporters to repeat the voting pattern they had orchestrated during the March 2023 governorship election in the state, wherein they worked against the re-election bid of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
In a WhatsApp conversation with one of his supporters, Daniel, who was accused of shunning the APC campaign during the by-election even when the APC National Chairman visited the state to lead the campaign, told the supporter: ” I will return to Nigeria this weekend. Pls mobilise all our people to go and vote the same way as before. I will support as usual. PDP.”
Although the senator later deleted this message, it had been screenshot and sent to the leadership of APC in the state, which was said to have expressed dismay that the Ogun East senator had consistently worked against the party since the 2023 election, except during his own election.
The gambit, however, ultimately failed as the Returning Officer for the election, Prof Kazeem Bello, declared the APC candidate, Mrs Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji, winner of the election across the three local government areas of Sagamu, Ikenne and Remo North.
The APC candidate polled 41,237 votes against her closest rival backed by Daniel, Bola Oluwole of PDP, who polled 14,324 votes.
It will be recalled that ahead of the 2023 governorship election in the state, Daniel had allegedly struck a deal worth billions with the camp of the PDP governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, in a bid to foil Governor Abiodun’s re-election.
The reason, reports said, was to make it near impossible for Abiodun to seek the Ogun East senatorial ticket in 2027, since he and Daniel are from Ogun East.
This move was, however, said to have angered the party, since it was Abiodun who had prevailed on the previous occupier of the Ogun East senatorial seat, Lekan Mustapha, to concede the ticket to Daniel.
” The last straw that broke the camel’s back was that WhatsApp message that Daniel circulated among his supporters asking them to betray APC just like they did in 2023.
“Worse still, he allegedly started harassing members of his ward when his treachery was called into question,” a party chieftain said under condition of anonymity, adding that the senator and his supporters also participated in the pasting of PDP banners.
