Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Gbenga Daniel, has dismissed assertions by Governor Dapo Abiodun that he played a decisive role in his political victories, describing the claims as inaccurate and misleading.

Abiodun had reportedly stated at a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Iperu Remo that he supported Daniel’s emergence in the 2003 governorship election by handing over his political structure after losing the PDP ticket.

He also claimed his intervention was instrumental in Daniel securing the APC senatorial ticket and eventual victory in 2023.

Responding through a statement issued by his media team, Daniel rejected the narrative, insisting that his electoral successes were achieved through grassroots mobilisation, strategic campaigning, and public support.

The statement described the governor’s remarks as “a failed attempt to rewrite history and outright falsehood.”

Daniel maintained that his victories, both as governor and senator, were earned on merit, backed by widespread acceptance among voters and sustained political engagement across the state.

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Providing context to the 2003 contest, his media office recalled that Daniel defeated Abiodun during the PDP governorship primaries by a margin of 127 votes to 12.

Following the primary, Daniel was said to have adopted a reconciliatory approach, reaching out to other aspirants under a “No Victor, No Vanquished” philosophy.

After winning the general election, Daniel reportedly ran an inclusive administration and appointed Abiodun as the pioneer Chairman of the Gateway Oil & Gas Committee, which facilitated the establishment of the state’s oil and gas company.

The statement also questioned Abiodun’s claim of political dominance, pointing to his unsuccessful 2015 senatorial bid against the late Buruji Kashamu as evidence that the alleged structure did not translate into electoral success.

Daniel’s camp further argued that Abiodun benefited from his support during the 2019 governorship election, particularly in the face of strong opposition linked to former governor Ibikunle Amosun.

“At that critical moment, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, then a PDP chieftain, was approached to support Mr Abiodun.

“He heeded the call, placing the future and development of Ogun State above partisan considerations, especially as the PDP itself was entangled in a debilitating legal crisis over its governorship candidacy.

“OGD not only mobilised his political structure in support of Mr Abiodun, but he also publicly raised his hand in a symbolic show of acceptance before thousands of supporters and members of the media”.

In the 2023 senatorial election, the media team insisted that Daniel’s victory was independent of any alleged backing by the governor.

“It must be clearly stated that Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel won the Ogun East Senatorial election on the strength of his name, his legacy, and the overwhelming support and goodwill of his people. He remains one of the most consequential political figures Ogun State has ever produced.

“The suggestion that his emergence as senator was a product of Governor Abiodun’s backstage choreography is not only false, it is an insult to every voter in Ogun East Senatorial District who participated in that election”.

The statement also disputed Abiodun’s claim that he persuaded other aspirants to step down, arguing that the primary process had largely concluded before any such intervention could have taken place.

According to the media team, Daniel ran an extensive grassroots campaign, covering all 103 wards and holding rallies across the nine local government areas in Ogun East.

They further alleged that Abiodun neither attended the campaign events nor actively supported the process, adding that some government officials were reportedly discouraged from participating.

“We now ask the Governor directly: which structure did he hand over to Senator Daniel? The same structure that failed to deliver even in his own ward and polling unit barely two weeks after the presidential election, despite the full weight of state machinery?”

Highlighting the scale of the 2023 victory, the statement described the outcome as decisive and uncontested.

“Senator Daniel’s victory in the 2023 general election was unprecedented in Ogun State’s senatorial history. The margin was historic, the mandate unambiguous.

“According to INEC records, it remains one of the very few senatorial outcomes in the state that was not contested at the election tribunal. Not a single petition. No dispute. The people spoke with unmistakable clarity”.

The media team concluded by questioning the governor’s reliance on what it termed political manoeuvring rather than open competition.

“A man who arrives after the contest to claim credit for its outcome is not a kingmaker; he is a latecomer attempting to rewrite history”.