Daniel Hailed for Contributions to Yoruba Unity, Development
Former Governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has been commended for his longstanding contributions to the unity and progress of the Yoruba people.
Daniel, a successful businessman before joining politics, governed Ogun State between 2003 and 2011. His administration introduced a new style of collaborative development that helped reposition the state, which had previously been regarded as a “civil servant state.”
Before venturing into politics, Daniel was actively involved in pro-democracy struggles under the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and Afenifere during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha. He was said to have supported the movements financially and otherwise, at great personal risk.
In 1999, Daniel also played a role in resolving the crisis that followed the Alliance for Democracy’s presidential primaries at D’Rovans Hotel, Ibadan. The intervention, which was coordinated under the Yoruba socio-political group Alajobi, was credited with averting a major political breakdown in the South West.
Similarly, in 2005, during his tenure as governor, he brokered peace between the two factions of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) led by the late Dr. Frederick Fasehun and Iba Gani Adams. The settlement, observers note, has endured till date.
Currently serving as Senator for Ogun East, Daniel has sponsored about 18 bills in the National Assembly, including the bill for the establishment of the South West Development Commission and the creation of a Naval Base in Ogun Waterside.
Political observers describe Daniel as one of the few leaders who has consistently prioritized the welfare of the Yoruba people above personal interests, contrasting him with some politicians who allegedly compromised during the June 12 struggle for financial gains.