Daniel grand patron Ogun state Labour party

Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta

The controversy surrounding the political status of the former governor of Ogun State,Otunba Gbenga Daniel was today laid to rest as the State chapter of Labour Party (LP) confirmed his membership.

The party also said it has constituted ward, local and state registration committees to conduct membership registration in the state between 28 August and 10 September this year.

Addressing a press conference today in Abeokuta, the state LP Secretary,Sunday Oginni, disclosed that the party approached Daniel and made him its “grand patron.”

Daniel’s political future after his eight-year tenure as governor ended in 2011 had been mired in controversy with chieftains of his former party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suspending him for
alleged anti-party activities.

The former governor also promoted the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) during the 2011 governorship election but the party’s flag-bearer, Gboyega Isiaka, came third in the election won by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Oginni, who was flanked by other state executive members of LP, stated that his party needed Daniel and other experienced politicians in the state ahead of the 2015 general election.

The scribe, however, denied that the party structure had been handed over to the former governor, saying he would only play advisory role.

According to him,“We want to say it categorically that the executives of Labour Party approached Otunba Gbenga Daniel as a social democrat to be our grand patron and he has accepted. This is not about political affiliation; he has been the governor of Ogun State for good eight years and we know most of his programmes belong to social democracy.

“If the leading lights in PDP like Daniel have decided to join Labour Party, it means the remnants of PDP in Ogun State are already in mortuary, embalmed and to be buried come May 29, 2015. Politics is about consultation, lobbying and taking advice here and there. Daniel is a progressive by all ramifications and when we look at all his programmes, it falls in line with the ideology of Labour Party”,Oginni posited.

Speaking on the party’s plans for the 2015 poll, the party’s financial Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, said competent candidates would be fielded for various elective positions.

“We have equal opportunity and social justice in Labour Party. But I can assure you that our candidates for all elections are candidates to beat and these are people that will change the fortune of Ogun State”,he said.