Former Ogun State governor and current senator for Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, has challenged Governor Dapo Abiodun to a live TV debate over the fight for the Ogun East senatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
Daniel spoke during an interview on TVC’s Beyond The Headlines on Thursday. He denied claims that Abiodun had become the consensus candidate for the seat.
He said what happened was only an endorsement, not a true consensus, because all aspirants did not agree to it.
“There was no consensus. Consensus means everyone involved agrees. What happened was just an endorsement,” Daniel said.
The senator said he had already bought his nomination forms and completed screening for the APC primaries, showing that he is determined to contest the election.
Daniel also claimed he was left out of an important APC caucus meeting where Abiodun was endorsed. He described this as unfair because he is the current senator representing the district.
He accused some party leaders of overstepping political boundaries and warned that some actions around the governor could negatively affect his administration.
Daniel then openly challenged Abiodun to a live televised debate where both men would present their achievements and defend their positions before Nigerians.
“I want us to sit together publicly with facts and figures and let Nigerians decide,” he said.
He added that if the governor refused the debate, he would assume he was avoiding it.
Daniel also claimed that some APC members supported Abiodun publicly because of political pressure and the power of incumbency, even though they privately disagreed with the process.
He questioned the fairness of the APC primary election process in Ogun State, saying some officials expected to be neutral had already taken sides.
He urged the party’s national leadership to ensure a free and fair primary election to prevent more division within the APC before the 2027 elections.
However, Daniel said he would step down from the race if President Bola Tinubu personally asked him to do so for the sake of party unity.
