Crisis is brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State as former governor and senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Gbenga Daniel, was, yesterday, denied entry into the venue of the party’s stakeholders’ forum in Ijebu-Ode.

Sources said that the incident was a result of the ongoing rift between Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun, who had been at loggerheads over who would take the senatorial ticket of the party in the district to contest for the 2027 elections.

Also, The Guardian learnt that the APC meeting was not unconnected with the alleged plans by the party leaders to endorse Abiodun as its consensus candidate from the zone and deny Daniel entry, a situation that triggered tension at the venue with the latter’s supporters chanting “no Kangaroo consensus.”

The meeting, which was scheduled to be held by 10:00 a.m. yesterday, took another twist when Daniel and his team were denied entry based on the directive of the Chairman of Odogbolu Local Council, Babatunde Diya.

Diya, who claimed he was only following the directive of higher authorities, was said to have allegedly asked the security guards at the venue not to allow the sitting senator to enter the hall

But Daniel, while addressing his loyalists and supporters outside the venue, said that his political opponents in the APC were the brains behind his denied entry into the venue of the meeting.

He said that any decision taken at the meeting without his presence would only amount to a ‘mere play,’ insisting that his position as the current senator representing the district permits him to be at the meeting.

“We are here for our Ogun East APC caucus meeting, but surprisingly, we have been barred. Let it be said that whatever they do here today is null and void,” he said.

HOWEVER, a broad coalition of political stakeholders across Ogun East Senatorial District has unanimously endorsed Abiodun as the APC’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.

The endorsement, announced at a high-level senatorial district meeting, drew backing from a wide spectrum of party leaders and office holders, including 103 councillors, members of the House of Assembly, council chairmen, commissioners, political appointees, women leaders, and former public office holders.

Leader of the House from Odogbolu Local Council, Bello Olatunde Sikiru, who spoke on behalf of legislative leaders in Ogun East, affirmed the collective decision of lawmakers across the district to support Abiodun’s transition to the Senate, citing his developmental strides and leadership track record.

Similarly, Kunle Sobukanla, representing Ikenne, conveyed the position of all Ogun East members in the State House of Assembly, emphasising that Abiodun’s performance in office justifies his endorsement for higher legislative responsibility.