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By Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo:
The deliberate exclusion of Senator Gbenga Daniel, the duly elected Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, from the recent APC Senatorial District meeting in Ijebu-Ode is not only deeply troubling but constitutes a flagrant violation of both the All Progressives Congress (APC) Constitution and the democratic principles enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Senator Daniel remains the only constitutionally recognized representative of Ogun East in the National Assembly. His mandate, freely given by the electorate through a democratic election, embodies the will of the people and must be respected. This is consistent with Section 14(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which declares that “the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice,” and Section 14(2)(c), which mandates the participation of the people in their government.
More critically, the exclusion directly contravenes the APC Constitution. The Party’s Constitution (Article 12.11, Senatorial District Committee) explicitly provides that the Senatorial District Committee shall include “all serving and past Members of the National and State Assembly from the Senatorial District who are members of the Party.” As the sitting Senator for Ogun East, Senator Daniel is a statutory member of this organ. Denying him access to a senatorial caucus meeting in his own district violates the Party’s own rules on the composition of its organs.
This action also runs counter to the core objectives of the APC as stated in Article 7(viii) of its Constitution: “To promote and uphold the practice of internal democracy at all levels of the Party’s organisation,” and Article 7(ix): “To institutionalise, maintain and foster representative democracy, discipline and observance of the rule of law in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” The Party was founded on progressive ideals of inclusion, fairness, consultation, transparency, and respect for institutional processes. Exclusionary tactics are alien to these values and risk portraying the APC as intolerant of dissent and dismissive of the electorate’s voice.
Any decisions purportedly taken at a meeting from which the sitting Senator and principal stakeholder was deliberately shut out cannot command legitimacy, moral authority, or broad acceptance within the Party. Such outcomes are not only questionable but politically self-destructive and legally unsustainable under the Party’s own rules.
Internal competition is a natural feature of vibrant democracy. However, it must be managed strictly within the bounds of the APC Constitution, the 1999 Constitution, transparency, and mutual respect for elected representatives. If left unaddressed, this incident risks deepening divisions in Ogun East, eroding party cohesion, and weakening the APC ahead of future electoral engagements.
This is not about any individual; it is about upholding due process, respecting the people’s mandate, and preserving the structural integrity of our Party organs.
We therefore urge the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and the Ogun State Executive Committee of the APC to immediately intervene, restore order, reverse this exclusionary precedent, and reaffirm strict adherence to both the Party Constitution and Nigeria’s democratic framework. Anything short of this will set a dangerous precedent that undermines the very foundations of internal democracy upon which the All Progressives Congress was built.
The stability and future success of the APC in Ogun East and across Nigeria demand nothing less.
Signed
Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
National president
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