Though peopled by prominent citizens both home and abroad, Ogun state has been in a war of sorts.
The war which has taken a new dimension since the era of Governor Gbenga Daniel who came to power in 2003 after having defeated former governor Olusegun Osoba in a political coup hatched against Afenifere -Yoruba mainstream political group until it fell from influence and power, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who wanted his party the People’s Democratic Party,PDP state to rule the state .
Obasanjo’s coup against Afenifere was hatched by Obasanjo’s die -hard political associates who wanted the state and sold a dummy to the Afenifere.
Obasanjo’s political trick was to the effect that presenting a presidential candidate by Afenifere will rob him, a fellow Yoruba, a much cherished second term.
The Afenifere apart from then Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, fell for the ‘trick’ and today the rest is history.
Afenifere romanced the Infidels and paid the supreme prize by losing five states of Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti in one -fell swoop.
Today, another theatre of ‘war’ has opened in Ogun except that this time around, it is being fought by two sons from the Ogun East axis which is now ruling the state.
But today’s war is not about the present but about two issues..
Governor Abiodun,it is said wanted to have full control of who succeeds him in 2027.
Though 2027 is still far away, Abiodun may want to incapacitate Senator Daniel who is said to be working for President Bola Tinubu to produce a governor of Yewa extraction in person of Senator Solomon Adeola aka Yayi in 2027.
But, the interesting scenario is that unlike the way Daniel practically ran former Governor Ibikunle Amosun out of the state in 2009 when the latter was battling to reclaim his ‘stolen’ mandate via the court, Daniel, known for his no-nonsense and hostage taking strategy, almost practically liquidated Amosun in 2010.
The later has to change tactics.
Daniel then was in his second term desirous of handing over to Gboyega Isiaka, now a House of representatives member from Yewa South of Ogun state.
With the support of the political structure and forces of the then Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN,led by Chief Osoba and Tinubu ,Amosun won the election in 2011.
He also showed his predecessor Daniel ‘pepper’,by running him out of town.
But he did that without physical liquidation .
Today,a ‘war’ of attrition supposedly ignited two weeks ago by suspended Chairman of Ijebu East local government,Wale Adedayo,who called out Abiodun to explain why he diverted and cornered local government funds running to billions of Naira since 2021.
While Adedayo was deserted by his fellow chairmen in the state who went in a begging, ‘dobale,’ spree to placate an enraged Abiodun who one day may have to answer summons from both EFCC and ICPC, due to Adedayo’s petition.
Adedayo’s council men within 48 hours went for his jugular, suspended him and equally accused him of helping himself to Four million naira of council funds to sponsor the traditional Isese festival in his domain.
He later got a bloody nose of indefinite suspension.
It did not stop at there ,he spent days with Directorate of State Services,DSS to answer questions bordering on his petition.
He has gone underground since his release and it is doubtful whether he will return to his seat soon.
Today, the war of attrition between Abiodun and Daniel has taken the shape of the war of acrimony between a former governor of Kano state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and immediate past Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The two parties seem to love fighting proxy wars.
Upon assumption of office, new governor of Kano State,Yusuf Abba Kabir, helped into power by Kwankwaso- his godfather, who have never seen eye -to -eye with Ganduje, embarked on demolition of some government structures built by Ganduje.
It was with much bitterness that residents of the state worry whether Ganduje and the current governor are fighting for them or pursuing their individual battles.
In Ogun state, Abiodun’s war against Daniel started earlier because as a serving Senator, Abiodun obviously didn’t want him to use Adedayo and other strong men from the Ogun East to derail his future ambition towards 2027 either in terms of picking his successor or going to the Senate now occupied by Daniel.
From the result of last election in February, Daniel is a stronger factor in Ogun East.
Thus, Abiodun’s move on Sunday morning to demolish DATKEM Plaza,-a five storey building belonging to Daniel’s wife, Olufunke, is seen as a deep- cut inflicted on Daniel considering the enormous resources spent on erecting it.
The demolition was done in the wee hours of Sunday, September 10, while the Senator and his wife must be preparing to go to Church.
Ironically,both Abiodun and Daniel are Christains, at least by name.
So if they are, what serious planning or building contraventions would the latter have made in erecting the building that couldn’t be corrected?
Though, Engineer Olusegun Lawal, the Project Manager and Developer of the project which construction started in 2009, said the structure has full approval and scheduled for commissioning by the end of September, the Permanent secretary, Ogun Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engineer Olayiwola Abiodun thinks otherwise.
As for him, the building is an illegal structure without an approved plan.
He added that the structure contravened the state’s Physical Planning laws.
Who is lying between the two?
Since government everywhere holds the pen and knife, could Daniel’s men’s claim withstand the arbitrariness of the ruling government determined to put him in check at whatever cost?
Is it true that Daniel too from his own corner has been undermining Abiodun with regard to using his minions against him in running the state ?
Since both Osoba and Tinubu are on the same page politically, isn’t it proactive to call the two men to order before they inflict much deeper collateral damage on each other?
Today, Governor Abiodun is a Remo man while Daniel has claims to both Ijebu Ode and Remo. Could he finish the war he started ?
Is Abiodun too trying to run Daniel out of town so early before the real war for 2027 commences .?
This might be so he could retain his control of the APC to which both of them belong.
Is their ‘war’ not likely to reduce the APC to the position of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ,which is yet to regain it’s momentum sixteen years after exiting from power in the state.
This is due principally to the inability of stakeholders to reconcile the different tendencies in it.?
Ogun APC elders have much to do to prevent the state from a descent into a state of abyss just like the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, also have much to do to reconcile his two sons before they rock the boat since both have equal capacity to cause trouble.
That the project in question is in Awujale’s domain is not politically wise for Abiodun notwithstanding his influence being threatened by Daniel, a fellow Omo Alare.