Otunba Gbenga Daniel, ‘a leopard that will never change its spots’

OTUNBA GBENGA DANIEL– A critical evaluation of the just concluded 2023 elections in Ogun State, South West Nigeria, brings to the fore certain intrigues and power play that expose the futility and frailty of hope in man. It has been said, and rightly so, that intrigues and subterfuge are integral part of politics. But then, politics of betrayal and disloyalty to party’s objective cannot and should not be justified as normal. It is certainly not the ideal in progressive politics. Here lies the bitter truth about the ignoble role played by a former governor and now Ogun East senator-elect, Otunba Gbenga Daniel in the March 11 polls in the State.

Sadly, it speaks to how society erroneously ascribes undue esteem to individual, who in actuality are unworthy of such trust. This is typically, OGD.

To be clear on this narrative, much was expected of Otunba Daniel as far as the effort to ensure APC victory at the poll was concerned. Deservedly so because much was given to his emergency as candidate.
Now, OGD had just profited from the robust structures built by committed members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State having been returned as Senator-elect to represent Ogun East Senatorial district in the 10th National Assembly, regrettably even after betraying the people’s trust again.

Recall that Otunba Daniel dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in February 2021, to join the APC after about fourteen years of total political oblivion and irrelevance. His Machiavellian disposition and deceptive colouration had been his albatross right from his days as governor of the State between 2003 and 2011.

Shamefully, his agents are still busy orchestrating political fabbles portraying same as truth in their desperate efforts to discredit the people’s mandate just handed down to Governor Abiodun.

Many still remember Daniel’s eight years in the saddle with sadness, a charade reign of media induced hope, characterized by deceits and plethora of lies, with array of violent activities, including unprecedented politically motivated killings, arson and all sorts of vices that completely made the State highly unstable and volatile.

By the tail end of his administration in 2011, Daniel had lost the confidence of the good people of Ogun State completely, as they eagerly looked forward to the end of his pretentious administration that had reversed the progressive gear of the State beyond comprehension.

Except for the usual paraphernalia of office, no single honour was accorded Daniel again towards the end of his administration, as people largely became aware of his inefficiency, alleged propensity for corruption and double-faced posture, with the unpleasant result of huge infrastructural deficit.

The level of leadership failure and administrative laxity on the part of Gbenga Daniel eventually played out when his party, the PDP, vehemently rejected his preferred candidate, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, and settled for General Adetunji Olurin as the governorship candidate of the party.

Daniel, in a show of confusion later went to form a leprous party, Peoples Party of Nigeria(PPN), which became a source of joke among the people of the State, where himself and his candidate continued to spend money with anticipation of influencing the people but perpetually hit a brick wall in every nook and cranny of the State.

The former governor sadly left the political stage in Ogun State in 2011 at the expiration of his tenure unceremoniously and eventually went into political oblivion thereafter in the State, at that time, he had unwittingly lost majority of his followers and allies and destroyed his political structure across the State.

For political watchers, it was not surprising why the ‘almighty OGD’ could not produce a successor, despite the larger than life political posture he portrayed and the media hype about his purported performance. However, to the majority of residents in the State, that exactly should be his fate after deceiving the people for so long.

Of course, that was the state of Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s political condition in Ogun State before 2021 until he was rescued by well-meaning political leaders in APC, led by the incumbent Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, after his failed outing as the Chairman of Presidential Campaign Council for the PDP in the 2019 presidential election.

At first, many were wondering how the Chairman of PCC of a leading opposition party could easily make a U-turn to join the ruling party in that speed and manner, but for those who were aware of Gbenga Daniel’s psyche and style, the development was not strange to them, they knew he is a man that has never stand for anything and will always fall for everything.

That Otunba Gbenga Daniel lacks principles and specific position on issues is inchoate, he is a man with chronic erratic nature, one that is too dangerous to believe and follow, in fact, consistency is copiously missing in his style of dealings in any form.

Meanwhile, despite his obvious flaws and laxity, Daniel was rescued from the jaw of ignominious failure and state of political pariah in Ogun State by APC leaders and redeemed back into the consciousness of the people, especially his immediate domain in Ogun East.

Every right thinking individual would have thought the man would change his way and turn a new leaf after over a decade in political egypt, alas! as soon as he was given another opportunity to be relevant, Daniel quickly resumed his old style and started working against the interests of his destiny helper.

The former governor, strangely teemed up with opposition party in his axis out of pecuniary consideration to sabotage the efforts of his party and destroy the structures that helped him; his appalling activities almost cost APC its victory in the gubernatorial poll of March 18. Indeed, this is extremely sad and unpardonable.

It is imperative for political stakeholders in Ogun State to be wary of this character irrespective of party affiliations; he is a man without requisite trait of loyalty and solidarity; he is a typical african leopard that will never change its spots no matter what.

Leaders like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba can say much about Gbenga Daniel; his political life and antecedents, together with his level of loyalty at every point in time.

Meanwhile, because the National Assembly is the bastion of democracy, which represents the conscience of the people and serve as a guiding instrument for democracy, whoever that is coming to the allow chambers must be a man or woman of impeccable character and be patriotic in all ways.

So, the leadership of the 10th National Assembly must be vigilant and careful with the nature of responsibility that will be given to Otunba Gbenga Daniel and the level of party activities that would be assigned to him, considering his pedigree and personality.

Lastly, the leadership of the APC must painstakingly review his activities, especially in the just concluded governorship election in Ogun State and also watch him closely in days ahead to determine the continuity of his membership.