Governor Dapo Abiodun, on Saturday, denied that the Ogun State government’s move to demolish the Sagamu home and luxury hotel of former governor Gbenga Daniel was politically motivated, insisting the action was part of an ongoing urban renewal exercise.

The governor’s rebuttal came hours after Peoples Gazette reported that Mr Abiodun had ordered the demolition of the Asoludero Court residence and Conference Hotel belonging to Mr Daniel, citing alleged infractions under the state’s town planning laws. 

The properties, situated within Sagamu Government Reserved Area, received both a notice to produce building permits and a demolition notice on August 8, giving just three days for compliance — a window that ran through a weekend when government offices were closed.

According to The Gazette’s earlier report, Ogun’s planning laws prescribe fines for such infractions, not demolition, raising questions about the necessity and urgency of the government’s approach.

In a statement signed by his special adviser on information and strategy, Kayode Akinmade, Mr Abiodun admitted responsibility for the notices but dismissed allegations of “political persecution” from Mr Daniel’s camp. “Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s building happens to be within the Sagamu GRA and among those that were served notices as required under the Town Planning Law and Regulation of Ogun State,” the statement read. 

“All Otunba Gbenga Daniel needs to do, like every other person in 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 added.

The governor maintained that the demolition threat was part of a “development audit” being conducted in Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode GRAs to verify compliance with approved building permits, and that several other property owners had also received similar notices.The government’s move has been widely perceived as an attempt to hide behind a newly enacted law to target a political rival, with the action described in some quarters as a “malicious and vindictive abuse of power.” The governor’s statement, however, rejected the claim as “a barefaced lie” and urged the former governor to “submit himself unreservedly to the same laws he once swore twice to uphold.”

The dispute between the two political heavyweights comes amid mounting speculation about a 2027 electoral face-off, with tensions deepening over perceived use of state power against opponents.