From Laide Raheem, Abiodun
Former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel has been officially received into the All Progressives Congress (APC) by state Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Supported by governors of Ondo, Kebbi, Kano and Niger states, Rotimi Akeredolu, Atiku Bagudu Abdullahi Ganduje and Abubakar Sanni Bello, respectively, Abiodun received Daniel, a one-time Director-General of the 2019 Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, into the party Tuesday night at his Asoludero Court residence in Sagamu.
The ex-governor had in March 2019 officially resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and announced his exit from partisan politics.
Receiving Daniel into the party, Governor Abiodun said: ‘Daniel will come with a lot of experience, a lot of wisdom, he is a very dynamic individual, he is referred to as the Lion of the West.
‘He will no doubt add a lot of value to our great party. I have the pleasure of leading my colleagues to receive you into APC.’
Niger Governor Abubakar Sanni-Bello, who chairs the APC Registration and Revalidation Committee, presented a broom, the symbol of APC, to formally welcome the former governor into the party.
He disclosed that the National Chairman of APC Caretaker Committee and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, and Governor Atiku Bagudu would be formally presenting Daniel to President Muhammadu Buhari.
In his remarks, Governor Bagudu, who chairs the APC Governors’ Forum, described the former Ogun governor as a political colossus with outstanding politics.
He said the APC has grown bigger and better with his defection, remarking that party was happy to receive the former governor.
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu spoke of Daniel’s defection as a homecoming, calling on leaders of APC in the state to come together and build a stronger party.
Responding, Daniel said his decision to join the APC had been ‘well-considered and thought out’.
He said that Nigeria’s leaders need to come together and speak with one voice in order to tackle the challenges confronting country.
‘To all our people in Ogun State, I can assure you that my decision to join the APC is a well-considered, well thought out decision.
‘More than any time in the history of this country, what we need to do is to speak together with one voice. Our people have challenges; there is despondency in the land because of security challenges and if anybody is patriotic, this is the time for us to join hands.
‘And for us in Ogun state, we have no other choice, we have a good governor and we are determined to support him to succeed,’ he stated.