The ongoing rift between the Ogun State government and Senator Gbenga Daniel, representing Ogun East, has escalated over a disputed road project in Sagamu.
The state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure issued a “stop work” order on the Paddy-Arikawe-Oye-Igbimo Road, allegedly facilitated by Daniel for reconstruction, prompting accusations of political sabotage from the senator’s camp.
Steve Oloyede, Daniel’s media aide, claimed the state’s action was politically motivated, targeting the senator due to their strained relationship.
However, the Ogun State government, in a statement on September 18, 2025, signed by Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, dismissed the allegations as “egregious falsehood.”
The government clarified that the contractor, Minim and Tonye Nigeria Limited, was directed to suspend work due to failure to obtain necessary permits for a state-owned road.
The statement explained that the road was already scheduled for repairs by Governor Abiodun’s administration.
Upon discovering unauthorized work, the Ministry of Works, through Permanent Secretary Yusuf L.O., instructed the contractor to apply for permission and outline the project’s scope, allowing the state to adjust its maintenance schedule.
“No one can carry out repair work on a road without obtaining necessary permission,” the statement read, citing the precedent of Ogun State needing federal approval for repairs on federal roads like Abeokuta-Sango Ota under former Minister Babatunde Fashola.
The government challenged claims that the Federal Government had approved the project, asserting that state roads require state authorization.
It referenced a February 1, 2025, letter from former federal lawmaker Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, who sought permission for similar rural road construction work on four rural roads, namely Sokanmade Road, Ewuga; Oko and Ada Road, Simawa; Ita Maro to Ilara Road; and Alhaja Ogunsanya Street, Irolu, among other projects.
This, the statement said, is the normal route to take.
The state accused Daniel’s allies of spreading “fake news” to fuel political hostility, questioning, “How can anyone equate asking a contractor to obtain necessary approval to stopping the project?”
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