Supporters of Senator Gbenga Daniel have advised members of their political movement to boycott the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary for Ogun East, scheduled for Monday, May 18, citing alleged threats to their safety.
The supporters, operating under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Otunba Gbenga Daniel Movement, also advised Daniel, who currently represents Ogun East in the Senate, to distance himself from the exercise. The statement was reportedly signed by the movement’s Director-General, retired General Olumuyiwa Okunowo, and other leaders across the senatorial district.
The APC had fixed its National Assembly primaries nationwide for May 18. In Ogun East, the contest has drawn attention because Governor Dapo Abiodun is also seeking the party’s senatorial ticket, setting up a tense political battle between the sitting governor and Daniel, a former governor of the state.
In their statement, Daniel’s supporters alleged that the atmosphere ahead of the primary had become unsafe, claiming that strange movements and threats against their members had been observed in recent days.
“In the last few days, we have seen all manner of strange movements and miscreants taking positions and ready to strike down our people,” the group alleged.
They said the movement had contributed significantly to the APC’s growth in Ogun East since joining the party, but argued that recent developments no longer reflected the principles of internal democracy, fair play and political inclusion.
The boycott call follows growing disagreement within Ogun APC over the Ogun East senatorial ticket. Earlier in the week, party stakeholders in the district endorsed Governor Abiodun as their consensus choice for the 2027 Senate race, while Daniel insisted that only a free and fair primary should determine the candidate.
Reports also indicate that Daniel has withdrawn from the primary over the alleged security threats, though the APC has not publicly announced any cancellation or postponement of the exercise.
The development deepens the internal crisis in the Ogun East APC and raises the prospect of post-primary disputes, especially if Daniel’s camp maintains that the process was unsafe or tilted in favour of a preferred aspirant.
Neither Governor Abiodun’s campaign nor the Ogun APC leadership had issued a detailed response to the latest boycott call at the time of reporting.
