Kunle Akinlabi: OGD’s Outbursts on Ogun Projects Are Cries for Relevance

Former Governor Gbenga Daniel’s recent comments at the commissioning of the Igodè International Market can best be described as desperate, reckless, and hypocritical. Ogun people are fully aware of his political history and are not deceived by attempts to rewrite it.

Daniel, whose time in office was marred by abandoned projects, debts, and political instability, has little moral ground to lecture Governor Dapo Abiodun on transparency and accountability. For a man who could not fix the Igodè roads during his eight years in power to now claim he patched them with his personal funds is not leadership but a poor attempt at relevance.

One of his most questionable claims concerns the Agro-Cargo Airport. The so-called “project” under his administration was nothing more than paperwork that never left the shelves of government offices. No foundation was laid, no infrastructure was developed. It took the discipline and vision of Governor Dapo Abiodun to transform those empty files into the world-class facility that Ogun State proudly celebrates today. Daniel’s attempt to associate himself with the airport’s success is therefore misleading.

Similarly, his comments about Ijebu State come across as political gimmicks. Throughout his career, Daniel has been more consistent in pursuing personal ambition than in standing firmly for any cause. His record of betraying allies, shifting loyalties, and prioritizing self-interest over service remains fresh in the memory of Ogun people.

The reality is simple: Daniel’s era has passed. His criticisms reflect the frustration of a politician struggling to remain relevant in a state that has moved forward under the steady leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun. The progress Ogun State is witnessing across sectors today cannot be erased by the outbursts of a former leader whose own failures remain evident.

Kunle Akinlabi writes from Sagamu.