Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel, has promised to participate only in free, fair and credible primaries.

The lawmaker told Vanguard through his media aide, Steve Oliyide, that he would not support any process that appeared to have a predetermined outcome.

He was reacting to the alleged imposition of consensus aspirants by some All Progressives Congress (APC

He said that democracy must be protected from practices that undermine the integrity of party primaries.

“No electoral process, the result of which appears to be pre-decided, will stand the test of credibility and fairness,” he stated.

“Democratic contests must be genuine so that party members are able to choose their preferred candidates without any external interference.

Daniel said the conduct of the House of Representatives primaries would be a litmus test for the credibility of the whole process.

He called on party leaders to hold transparent primaries which would boost the morale of party members and the general public.

Meanwhile, Daniel has boasted that he would thrash Governor Dapo Abiodun in the forthcoming senatorial primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of 2027 general election.

The Ogun East senator spoke at an empowerment programme organised by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-Otunba Gbenga Daniel (BATOGD) Movement in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday.

“I am still the favorite of party members and residents of the district,” he said.

“If we have a free and fair primary, I will not only win, I will win overwhelmingly, without any doubt,” Daniel said.

“Go to town and ask the folks. Ask them things. You’re here, on your way out, go to the people, ask questions about who is on the ground.”

He claimed that some forces in the party were plotting to intimidate members and deny them the opportunity to participate in the primary election.

What the governor and others depend on is they’re going to use violence and scare people not to come out and vote. And that’s why I’m telling our people they should not be deterred; they should come out and vote,” he said.

The rivalry between Daniel and Abiodun has assumed a new dimension in the recent past following a meeting of APC stakeholders in Ogun East where the governor was said to have been endorsed as the consensus candidate for the senatorial seat of the district.

It was gathered that Daniel was denied access to the venue of the meeting in Ijebu-Ode.

Daniel, at Tuesday’s event accused the Ogun State Government of frustrating the developmental projects he had been facilitating in Ogun East.

“The biggest hurdle we have to going forward with that project is my brother and our governor. “And I don’t see why it has to be like this,” he said

He also attacked the state government over infrastructure and healthcare issues in the district.

The ex-governor asked if the government allegedly failed to improve medical staffing and public health facilities.

Why has the government not managed to get international staff? “We’re going to need more doctors and nurses,” he added.

Daniel cited the huge turnout at the BATOGD event as evidence of his grass-roots support.

“The invitation to this meeting was made two days ago. “The people are here they are trying to stop it again.

“So how do you think the party can move forward without considering the position and expressions of the masses of people you see here?” he said.

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Segun Showunmi, the leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has called the choice of Solomon Adeola (Yayi) as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for governor of Ogun West “state capture” and said it must be stopped.

During a meeting of stakeholders on Monday, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun made the announcement.

At a strategic caucus meeting at the party’s secretariat on Abiola Way in Abeokuta, Adeola was chosen as the party’s candidate.

In a statement on Tuesday called “From Magbon to Now: We Will Not Be Conquered. Ogun’s Line in the Sand: Resistance to State Capture,” Showunmi warned that a crude tool of control is ruining the state’s long-standing reputation for independent thought.

Showunmi said that the history of Ogun State is defined by its ability to challenge entrenched systems, from the fall of the Oyo Empire to the present day. He was worried that the people who are currently trying to dictate the state’s direction don’t have a clear record of public service or private behavior.

He questioned the validity of the APC political arrangement, contending that consensus, although a legitimate internal party process, transforms into an imposition in the absence of integrity.

Showunmi said that the APC’s position was not just the arrogance of people who wanted to impose their will, but also the determination or complicity of a group that was once known for its independence.

He said, “Yes, a political party can choose how it runs itself, even if that means using ‘consensus’ as its main way of doing things.” But in every serious political system where consensus is respected, there is one thing that is always needed: integrity. Without that, consensus turns into imposition.

“That’s exactly the problem we’re dealing with. People who are now trying to force this deal on Ogun State have no proof of honesty in their private lives, public service, or any clear understanding of what it means to be a good governor. In this case, what is being called consensus is really a rough tool for control.

“This is how the state gets taken over.” And it must be fought against. So we are faced with a defining test: not only of the arrogance of those who want to impose their will, but also of the determination or complicity of a people who were once known for their independence.

“We cannot accept the status of a conquered people in this generation, especially in a democracy.”

“No political convenience, party loyalty, or made-up necessity is enough to force free people back into servitude.”

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Otunba Segun Showunmi, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Alternative, has told people in Ogun state to reject what he calls “state capture” that is being sold as political consensus.

On Monday, Governor Dapo Abiodun and other leaders of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) agreed on Solomon Adeola (Yayi) as the party’s candidate for governor in the next election.

The APC strategic caucus meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta made the decision known.

Showunmi wrote a piece on Tuesday called “From Magbon to Now: We Will Not Be Conquered. Ogun’s Line in the Sand: Resistance to State Capture.” He warned that a crude tool of control is destroying the state’s long-standing reputation for independent thought.

He questioned the validity of the political system, saying that “consensus” is a valid way for a party to make decisions, but it becomes an act of imposition when it lacks honesty.

Showunmi called the political process that was happening a “humiliation” for the voters and said that the arrogance of those who want to impose their will must be met with a renewed resolve from the grassroots.

The Odofin Keesi were worried that the people who are trying to control the state right now don’t have a clear record of public service or private behavior.

He said, “Yes, a political party has the right to choose how it works internally, even if that means using “consensus” as its main way of doing things. But in every serious political system where consensus is respected, it is built on one thing: honesty. Without that, consensus turns into imposition.

“That’s exactly the problem we’re dealing with. People who are now trying to force this deal on Ogun State have no proof of honesty in their private lives, public service, or any clear understanding of what it means to be a good governor. In this case, what is being called consensus is really a rough tool for control.

“This is how the state gets taken over.” And it must be fought against. So, we have a defining test: not just of the arrogance of those who want to impose their will, but also of the determination or complicity of a people who used to be known for their independence.

The PDP leader said that Ogun State’s history is marked by its ability to fight against established systems, from the fall of the Oyo Empire to the present day.

“We can’t accept the status of a conquered people in this generation, especially in a democracy.”

He said, “No justification of political convenience, party loyalty, or manufactured inevitability is enough to force a free people to go back to servitude.”

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