Abeokuta – A fresh political controversy has erupted in Ogun State following claims by Steve Oliyide, the Media Aide to Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel, that his principal did not support Governor Dapo Abiodun during the 2023 gubernatorial election.
The revelation was made during a heated argument on the “Ogun Governance” WhatsApp platform, where Oliyide purportedly presented comparative figures of the votes garnered by Governor Abiodun in the 2019 and 2023 elections to buttress his point.
In screenshots of the exchange seen by our correspondent, Oliyide wrote, “Thank you OGD for rescuing a drowning man😫,” and followed up with another post stating, “2019: OGD Support and 2023: DA Solo Runs and Reality Check 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.”
When another member of the group queried, “So 2023 he didn’t support?” the aide’s statements strongly implied an affirmative, confirming long-standing speculations within the state’s political circles.
This public assertion by his aide lends credence to the widespread belief that Senator Daniel and his political structure had thrown their weight behind the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu. Senator Daniel had previously denied these claims of non-support for the incumbent governor.
The leaked message creates a complex political narrative, as it emerges amidst acknowledgements that Governor Abiodun was instrumental to Daniel’s own political ascent in 2023, having reportedly single-handedly facilitated his senatorial ticket for the Ogun East seat under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
As of the time of this report, there has been no official reaction from the offices of Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel or Governor Dapo Abiodun.
