CCDI President Clarifies Daniel's Alleged Exclusion from APC Caucus Meeting
The President of the Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI), Mr. Olufemi Aduwo, has described claims that former Ogun State Governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel, was excluded from a recent All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting in Ijebu-Ode as misleading. Aduwo emphasized that the controversy surrounding the meeting has been exaggerated, stressing that what occurred was the routine enforcement of accreditation procedures rather than any form of political conspiracy.
Accreditation Procedures and Party Rules
He stated that no serious political organisation operates without rules regulating access to its internal meetings, noting that accreditation remains necessary for order, security, and institutional credibility. According to him, portraying adherence to laid down procedures as victimisation amounts to a misrepresentation of their purpose.
The CCDI president also observed that internal competition and disagreements within political parties should not be mistaken for institutional collapse, adding that such developments are common features of democratic politics. He recalled that issues surrounding Daniel's alleged political alignment during the 2023 governorship election may have shaped perceptions within the party, whether proven or not.
Internal Party Arrangements and Leadership
Aduwo further noted that Daniel's emergence as senatorial candidate in 2023 was the result of internal party arrangements and political accommodation, which he said highlighted the importance of collective decision-making over personal entitlement. On leadership in the state, he commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for maintaining party cohesion despite internal tensions through what he described as a balance of firmness and restraint.
He also advised Daniel to adopt a more reflective role associated with elder statesmanship, citing former leaders such as Chief Olusegun Osoba and Senator Ibikunle Amosun as examples of political figures who now wield influence through counsel rather than active electoral contests. Aduwo noted that political parties thrive on discipline rather than sentiment, warning against presenting routine procedural matters as persecution.
"It is a matter of record that Senator Daniel's senatorial candidacy in 2023 emerged from internal party arrangements and political accommodation, including the decision of a sitting senator to step aside. This underscores the primacy of collective decision-making over individual entitlement," Aduwo added.
