Gbenga Daniel remains APC member, party confirms

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress has confirmed that former governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, remains a bona fide member of the ruling party.

The party, in a letter dated November 17 and signed by its National Secretary, Dr Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, disclosed this in response to MJS Law Firm, led by Prof. Yemi Oke, SAN, which had earlier written to the party regarding Daniel’s suspension.

Prof Oke, in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday, said his law firm had written to the leadership of the party at the state, Southwest, and national levels, demanding the requisite documents on the purported suspension within seven days to avert legal action.

He explained that the national leadership, however, replied to the law firm two days before the expiration of the ultimatum, affirming that the senator remains a bona fide member of the party.

The National Secretary stated that the National Working Committee of the party, as statutorily required, has never deliberated or investigated any alleged anti-party activities against Daniel, and therefore, he remains a member.

Recall that the state chapter of the party had recently defended Daniel’s indefinite suspension, insisting that due process was followed. The party’s Director of Publicity, Femi Nuberu, said the suspension was based on findings that Daniel engaged in anti-party activities during the Remo Federal Constituency by-election held in August.

Nuberu maintained that the decision aligned with the party’s constitution and that the period for appeal had elapsed.

“The party’s decision on this matter stands. The window to appeal, as clearly laid out in our constitution, has lapsed. If the Daniel wailers want to wail, that’s their right; we can’t take that away from them. They can sustain their appeal on social media,” he said.

The party spokesperson made the remarks in response to a press briefing by some APC leaders from Ogun East at Daniel’s Asoludero private residence in the Sagamu GRA, where they criticised the senator’s suspension.

The APC leaders alleged that the suspension was part of a plot by Governor Dapo Abiodun to edge Daniel out of contention for the Ogun East senatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections. They also questioned why the party had not provided Daniel with an official suspension letter, apart from press statements circulated to journalists.

Responding swiftly to MJS Law Firm’s enquiry, the National Secretary reiterated that the former governor remains a full-fledged member of the party.

The statement partly reads, “I bring you compliments from the National Secretariat of our great party and write to inform you that the Party has been inundated with the recent notice of suspension of the Distinguished Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Sen. Otunba Olugbenga Daniel.

Please take note that the NWC is yet to deliberate on this matter as provided in Articles 21.3(d & e) of the party constitution.

Consequent upon this, you are hereby requested to allow the National Working Committee to investigate the matter and take an informed decision on the suspension before issuing any further public correspondence on this matter. Until then, Sen. Otunba Olugbenga Daniel remains a bona fide member of the party.”

Meanwhile, Prof. Oke commended the ruling party for being forthright, fair, and unbiased in handling the matter as it relates to the concerns and interests of their client and APC stakeholders in Ogun East.

Welcoming the NWC’s decision to investigate the former governor, the law firm affirmed that the senator would remain law-abiding and continue to contribute to the growth of the party in the state.