The Ogun State government has rejected allegations by former governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel that recent demolition notices served on his properties were politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, the government described Daniel’s claims as “blatant distortions of facts,” insisting the notices were part of a routine urban renewal and town planning audit, not a vendetta.
Daniel’s media office had accused the administration of “malicious and vindictive abuse of power,” alleging that the August 8 notices targeted his Sagamu residence, The Asoludero Court, and Conference Hotels Limited. They also claimed the government was applying the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2022 retroactively to demolish structures built legally as far back as 2004, and recalled the 2023 demolition of a property owned by Daniel’s wife in Ijebu-Ode.
The government, however, maintained the audit was ongoing in Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode Government Reserved Areas, affecting many other property owners. It urged Daniel to submit relevant planning permits and land titles for verification rather than politicising the process.
“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 read. “Nobody is bigger than the State… He should submit himself unreservedly to the same laws he once swore twice to uphold.”
The Dapo Abiodun-led Ogun State Government marked the Sagamu residence and luxury hotel of the former governor for demolition within three days, deepening the fierce political rivalry between both men ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority issued both a Notice of Contravention and a Notice to Quit for Daniel’s Asoludero Court residence on Obafemi Awolowo Avenue, GRA, Sagamu, including his nearby Conference Hotel. The notices, numbered 00049514 and 00047714, were served simultaneously by the Sagamu Zonal Planning Office at about 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 8.
The Notice of Contravention, citing the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022 and the accompanying regulations, alleged that the hotel was constructed without a planning permit and without adequate setbacks or approvals. It described the stage of work as “completed and in use” and ordered removal of the contravention within “three (3) days” or face demolition.
The Notice to Quit similarly ordered occupants of the residence to vacate within three days of service “during the impending demolition of the development,” warning that the authority “will not be liable for any loss suffered” or damage to property.
But the cited laws were enacted in 2022—more than 15 years after the properties were completed.
