In what seems to be a total surprise to many Nigerians, the former governor of Ogun state and the Director General of Atiku Campaign Organisation, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former governor also gave reasons for his endorsement of Dapo Abiodun, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the March 9 2019 gubernatorial election in Ogun state, who went ahead to win the election.
Daniel made these known in a letter written to the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus on Thursday.
He said his choice of Abiodun ahead of Buruji Kashamu, the PDP candidate in the contest was based on the belief that the former has the capacity to serve the interest of the state.
“We have responded to the yearnings of our people and joined others in emplacing an administration that we believe will better serve the interests of our people than what currently exists” he said.
With this latest development, Governor Daniel is the second high profile member of the PDP in Ogun State that would resign from the party in less than six years.
Recall that President Olusegun Obasanjo in the wake of his battle with President Goodluck Jonathan publicly tore his PDP membership card and renounced his membership of the party.
Daniel, who described the administration of the incumbent governor of Ogun state as anti-people went further to state that he has no regret in his decision to support the APC candidate stating that “several of our citizens, leaders and stakeholders in the state and outside have commended that singular action. Many stakeholders within and outside Ogun State feel fulfilled, excited and grateful about our decision to join others in putting a stop to a regime that was believed to be against the collective and general welfare of our people.”
Gbenga Daniel served as governor of Ogun state from 2003 to 2011 and his administration embarked on massive infrastructure of the state. His administration upgraded the four stadia in the state to world standard among other development.
Speaking on the crisis bedeviling the PDP in the state he said: “while, the PDP in Ogun State was confronted with a very difficult situation in matter of choice. Whereas the national leadership of our party, recognized one candidate for the 2019 election, by court pronouncements another candidate, and in compliance with those court orders, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognized was on the INEC list.
“The candidates recognized by INEC were not acceptable to the national leadership of the party. Our situation was then compounded because the candidate which the court and INEC recognized and accepted as valid has also been expelled by the party. This was the dilemma we found ourselves as we approached the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections,” he said.
On his next point of action he revealed, “ My decision to quit partisan politics notwithstanding, I have decided to rejuvenate my charity based organization, the Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) which will literally continue to dispense succor to our people in need, address and assist in the areas of some of their health challenges; I also plan on resuscitation of the non-partisan Political Leadership Academy (POLA) which I established some years ago as a platform of political education to our citizens.
