“Nobody is Bigger Than the State,” Ogun Government Tells OGD Amid Demolition Dispute

The Ogun State Government has dismissed accusations of political witch-hunting from former governor and current Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel, following the recent issuance of demolition notices on several of his properties.

In a statement released on Saturday, the government clarified that the demolition notices were part of a routine urban renewal and town planning audit, not a personal attack on Daniel.

The issue arose after Daniel’s media office raised alarms, accusing Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration of “malicious and vindictive abuse of power” in connection with the notices issued on Friday, August 8. These notices targeted Daniel’s Sagamu residence, The Asoludero Court, and Conference Hotels Limited.

Daniel’s team argued that the government was attempting to use the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2022 retroactively to demolish properties that were legally constructed prior to the law’s enactment, some of which date back to 2004. They also pointed to a previous demolition of a property belonging to Daniel’s wife in Ijebu-Ode in 2023.

In response, the Ogun State government rejected these claims as “blatant distortions of facts.” Kayode Akinmade, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, emphasized that the notices were part of a larger development audit covering the Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode Government Reserved Areas, which also impacted other property owners.

Akinmade further urged Daniel to follow due process, stating, “All Otunba Gbenga Daniel needs to do, just like every other person in a similar situation, is to present his planning permit and land title to the relevant government agency for verification within the time specified in the notices, rather than resorting to cheap blackmail.”

The statement reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the rule of law, with Akinmade adding, “Nobody is bigger than the State. Senator Gbenga Daniel is distinguished, no doubt, but he is not bigger than Ogun State. He should submit himself unreservedly to the same laws he once swore twice to uphold.”

The Ogun State government also noted that town planning audits are not a new practice, having been a regular procedure during Daniel’s own tenure as governor. The government concluded by advising Daniel to refrain from framing his interactions with government institutions as personal vendettas against Governor Abiodun.