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Gbenga Daniel 'Frees' His Supporters For PDP And APC — But They Insist 'We Haven't Asked For Freedom'

“Whereas our people are free to move, I am yet to decide finally if I want to re-enter partisan politics having just quit" Daniel said. But they replied: "Members of the political structure have not requested for political freedom from Otunba Gbenga Daniel, hence, the move to give them one is null and void."

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Gbenga Daniel, Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, says he hasn’t made a final decision on if he wants to re-enter partisan politics.

He said his supporters in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are free to move to whichever party they choose, but his supporters have insisted that he cannot leave them.

Daniel had announced his resignation from the PDP, as well as his decision to quit partisan politics in a letter dated March 14, 2019. But he denied reports that he had decided to move to the All Progressives Congress (APC), after a meeting on the matter with his supporters from across the state.

In a statement on the subject issued on Sunday, the former Governor of Ogun State said: “I have not agreed. Please report well. There was a resolution I picked from the meeting.

"The meeting agreed that my resignation from the PDP was in order. The meeting vehemently disagreed with my decision to quit partisan politics. The meeting raised a motion that I should lead them into APC which motion was unanimously adopted.

“I earlier on in my speech said that I have freed them and they can choose to stay in the PDP or join APC or any other party of their choice, since I have decided to be non-partisan to which they all responded that APC is their choice, having worked for Dapo Abiodun on my instruction.

“Mrs. Apampa, in her closing speech, then propounded the Duck theory literally meaning that they will move ahead to APC and will drag me along behind them. I made no further comments and the meeting ended.

“Summary is that whereas our people are free to move, I am yet to decide finally if I want to re-enter partisan politics having just quitt.”

Meanwhile, members of the OGD Political Family have rejected Daniel’s decision to quit partisan politics.

A communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting on Sunday and signed by Ayo Giwa, Media Aide to Chief Gbenga Daniel, noted that the former Governor’s decision to quit partisan politics is “unacceptable”.

The communiqué read: “Consequent upon the letter of resignation from partisan politics released by His Excellency, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on the 14th of March, 2019, leaders and members of the OGD Political Family converged at an emergency meeting on Sagamu residence of the former Governor on Sunday 17th day of March, 2019. The meeting was well-attended by stakeholders and members of the Otunba Gbenga Daniel Political family. The ‘family’ resolved as follows:

“That the decision of H.E. Otunba Gbenga Daniel to quit partisan politics is unacceptable to the entire leadership and members of the structure.

“That members of the political structure have not requested for political freedom from Otunba Gbenga Daniel, hence, the move to give them one is null and void.

“That with the seeming disdain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Southwest and Ogun State and most especially the person of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, his resignation from the party is a welcome development.

“That members are hereby pleading with Otunba Gbenga Daniel to take them to the All Progressives Congress (APC) having supported the governorship candidate of the party to win the election in the March 9, 2019 governorship elections in Ogun State.

“That Otunba Gbenga Daniel should consider this plea greatly.

“After the meeting, His Excellency Otunba Gbenga Daniel left the gathering without any commitment to the plea. He later told the pressmen who swooped on him that he has listened to his people and will consider what he heard carefully. That was the summary of the meeting.”

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