Former Governor of Ogun State and incumbent Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election. The high-profile withdrawal came after severe security concerns were raised by his core political support base, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Otunba Gbenga Daniel (BATOGD) Movement, ahead of the primaries scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2026.
In a joint statement signed by 21 key political stakeholders and representatives across the senatorial zone, the group explicitly advised Senator Daniel to distance himself from the process and instructed all loyalists to completely boycott the venues. The leadership of the movement alleged that strange movements of suspected miscreants and political thugs had been observed positioning themselves across the district, ready to launch coordinated violent attacks against Daniel’s supporters. Stating that he could not bear to put his followers in harm’s way, the veteran politician acceded to the boycott to prevent impending bloodshed.
The dramatic development highlights a deeply rooted, long-standing political rivalry within the Ogun State APC chapter. For months, undercurrents of tension have brewed between the political structure of Senator Gbenga Daniel and the camp of the incumbent Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, who is also reportedly eyeing the same Ogun East senatorial ticket. This sudden boycott effectively paves a clear, uncontested path for Governor Abiodun’s camp, while exposing the severe internal divisions and struggle for party dominance ahead of the next general elections.
