• Gbenga Daniel publicly challenged Dapo Abiodun to a live televised debate
• Daniel said refusing the debate would amount to “running away” from public accountability
• The political clash is linked to the Ogun East Senatorial race ahead of the 2027 elections

The political tension between Gbenga Daniel and Dapo Abiodun intensified on Thursday, May 14, after the Ogun East senator publicly challenged the governor to a live televised debate over the growing controversy surrounding the 2027 Ogun East Senatorial contest.

Speaking during an appearance on TVC’s Beyond The Headlines, Daniel called on Abiodun to appear alongside him on national television for what he described as a direct and open conversation before Nigerians.

“This is an open invitation. And between you and I, if you don’t do that, my assumption is that he ran away. It’s an open challenge,” Daniel declared during the interview.

The former Ogun governor urged the programme’s host to arrange the encounter without delay, insisting that the public deserved to hear both sides of the political disagreement.

“You will have done this programme disservice if you don’t pair us. And let’s do it quickly,” he added.

The programme host responded by confirming that the invitation would be extended to Abiodun, noting that a seat had already been reserved for the governor should he accept the challenge.

The latest development comes amid weeks of political tension within the ruling APC in Ogun State over the Ogun East Senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In April 2026, APC stakeholders in Ogun East endorsed Abiodun as the consensus candidate for the senatorial position, despite the seat currently being occupied by Daniel.

The senator has strongly opposed the move, rejecting the consensus arrangement and insisting that the party should conduct open and transparent primaries.

During the interview, Daniel also issued a pointed warning to the governor, suggesting that his political allies could eventually undermine his administration.

“Your Excellency, you are now going to be a former governor very soon,” Daniel said. “I told you pointedly that this young man who is following you is going to be the one who is going to destroy your government.”

He further stated that political boundaries and unwritten rules had been ignored in the ongoing dispute.

“There are certain lines you don’t cross in this business,” he said. “There are certain lines you don’t cross.”

As of the time this report was filed, neither the Ogun State Government nor Abiodun’s media team had officially responded to the challenge.

Governor Abiodun is currently serving his second and constitutionally final term in office, making the Ogun East Senate seat one of the most discussed political destinations tied to his post-governorship ambitions.

Daniel, meanwhile, has continued to frame the emerging contest as a betrayal by a political ally he claims to have supported into office.

Ogun near ‘El Dorado’, economy now among Nigeria’s fastest growing — Governor Dapo Abiodun

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, declared that Ogun State had witnessed significant economic and infrastructural growth under his administration, describing the state as a “near El Dorado” now comparable only to Lagos State.

Highlighting what he described as rapid economic transformation, Abiodun said Ogun had emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Nigeria, driven by strategic governance and investment-focused policies.

The governor had assured residents that security challenges were being addressed while expressing confidence in federal efforts.