By ABIODUN LAWAL

Sen. Gbenga Daniel’s loyalists on Thursday described the senatorial endorsement of Gov. Dapo Abiodun as a “kangaroo arrangement”.

The loyalists, known as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Otunba Gbenga Daniel (BATOGD) Movement, alleged that the endorsement lacked adequate consultation and due process within the party structure.

The movement’s Deputy Director-General, Mr Tayo Onayemi, at a news conference in Sagamu, maintained that the procedure was not recognised in the party’s constitution.

According to him, the constitution only recognises procedures such as consensus backed by the written consent of all aspirants or direct primaries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that APC leaders and stakeholders in Ogun East Senatorial District had endorsed Abiodun as their consensus candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.

The endorsement was announced on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting held at Adeola Odutola Hall, Ijebu-Ode.

Onayemi, however, argued that any endorsement outside the constitutional provisions remained invalid and unacceptable.

He also alleged that Daniel, a former Ogun governor, was prevented from entering the venue of the purported APC Ogun East caucus meeting, which, according to him, excluded key stakeholders.

He reaffirmed the movement’s commitment to party unity and urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to intervene and ensure due process was followed.

“There is nothing like endorsement in the Electoral Act recently signed into law by the president.

“What we have is consensus by agreement or direct primaries; anything short of this is null and void.

“As far as Sen. Gbenga Daniel is concerned, he is a principled party man who will always abide by the rules and ethics of the party.

“We are confident that the APC, as a disciplined party, will uphold its rules and ensure justice is done,” he said.

Earlier, the Director-General of BATOGD, Mr Olumuyiwa Okunowo, also dismissed the outcome of the Ogun East APC stakeholders’ meeting held in Ijebu-Ode.

Okunowo alleged that several key stakeholders, including Daniel, were invited with the impression that the meeting was an official senatorial caucus gathering.

He further claimed that Daniel and his supporters were, however, denied access to the venue, raising concerns about exclusion and manipulation within the party.

“We are running a democracy, and we are law-abiding citizens.

“We have absolute trust in the capacity and assurances of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do what is right, fair and just,” he said. (NAN)

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