UPDATE: Gbenga Daniel resigns from PDP, quits partisan politics

The Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Presidential Candidate in the just concluded Presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and a two-term Ogun state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has officially resigned from active politics

This was contained in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince  Uche Secondus dated March 14 this year, a copy now in possession of the Tribune Online.

In the letter which was also copied to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Party, BOT, Alhaji Walid Jubrin and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former governor took time to reminisce on the journey so far and why it was necessary to hang the boot at this point in time in his political career.

OGD, as popularly being addressed in his resignation letter to the PDP leadership on his decision to resign from active and partisan with effect from March 14, 2019, declared that the decision was entirely personal.

According to him, “my decision in this regard is entirely personal to me and having served in various capacities, including as Governor of Ogun State, I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges.

Daniel declared that his decision to quit partisan politics notwithstanding, he had decided ” to rejuvenate his charity based organization, the Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) which would literally continue to dispense succour to the people in need, address and assist in the areas of some of their health challenges.

He also planned the resuscitation of the non-partisan Political Leadership Academy (POLA) which he established some years ago as a platform of political education to the citizens.

In his preamble to his political journey in PDP, Daniel said, ” I joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State on Sunday, the 9th of September, 2001 at an event which was described as one of the most ceremonial political rallies in our recent political history in the South Western part of Nigeria

“We rose from that rally to create a highly robust and effective political campaign machinery which resulted in an electoral victory for the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State in 2003; this movement and vibration affected the politics of the region positively with a victory in five states of the South West

“I served as Governor of Ogun State for eight  years and our administration till today remains a point of reference in terms of physical, social, economic, educational and human capital development since the State was created in 1976

” Notwithstanding these widely acclaimed achievements, however, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party ran into trouble waters towards the end of our administration which led to the sad loss in the election of 2011, and regrettably ten  years after the party has been unable to resolve those internal disputes and challenges

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” The PDP in Ogun State was confronted with a very difficult situation in matter of choice. Whereas the national leadership of our party, recognized one candidate for the 2019 election, by court pronouncements another candidate, and in compliance with those court orders, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognized was on the INEC list

“The candidates recognized by INEC were not acceptable to the national leadership of the party. Our situation was then compounded because the candidate which the court and INEC recognized and accepted as valid has also been expelled by the party

“This was the dilemma we found ourselves as we approached the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections

“Going forward, we have responded to the yearnings of our people and joined others in emplacing an administration that we believe will better serve the interests of our people than what currently exists

“The rest they say is now history.

I must say that looking back, I do not have any regrets over that patriotic choice and decision, especially as several of our citizens, leaders and stakeholders in the state and outside have commended that singular action

“Many stakeholders within and outside Ogun State feel fulfilled, excited and grateful about our decision to join others in putting a stop to a regime that was believed to be against the collective and general welfare of our people”.