-FISAYO AJIBOLA
Sagamu Residents Lament as Gov. Abiodun Halts Tinubu-Backed Road Project
Residents Accuse Ogun Government of Insensitivity
Sagamu residents have erupted in anger after Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, ordered the stoppage of an ongoing federal road project approved under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Paddy-Arikawe Oye Igbimo Road reconstruction, awarded by the Presidency to Minim and Tonye Nigeria Limited and facilitated by Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel, was abruptly halted by the Ogun State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.
In a letter signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Engr. Dr. Yusuf L.O., and obtained by newsheadline247, the contractor was directed to suspend operations immediately on the grounds that “necessary permit/clearance was not obtained from the State Government before commencement.”
The letter further argued that the Presidency’s action “negates the normal due process which ought to be followed before commencing work on a State Government road.”
The decision has sparked outrage in Sagamu, where residents accused the state government of “pettiness and insensitivity.”
One resident who spoke anonymously said, “There are thousands of roads in the state begging for repairs and constructions, and this Ogun State Government is stopping the federal government from helping us out. This is the height of insensitivity. This governor has no empathy for the people.”
Another source close to the project revealed that the road was facilitated by Senator Daniel through the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), with President Tinubu’s approval.
“The BCDA mobilised and started work on Wednesday. The speed with which they were stopped is shocking. This is not Daniel’s private project but a federal intervention. Instead of encouraging it, the governor is blocking it,” the source lamented.
Political analysts believe the move could reignite tensions between President Tinubu and Governor Abiodun. During the 2023 APC presidential primaries, Abiodun openly backed former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo against Tinubu — a rift that has lingered within the party.
Although no link has been drawn between that political rivalry and the halted road project, residents say the timing and manner of the stoppage “reeks of political undertones.”
The controversy is particularly sensitive in Sagamu, where residents claim state governments have abandoned key roads for decades. “Since Otunba Gbenga Daniel left office in 2011, major roads in Sagamu GRA — including the busy Paddy-Arikawe stretch — have reportedly seen no meaningful maintenance or reconstruction”
“This is not the first time. Even Aiyepe Road suffered the same fate. Anytime Senator Daniel facilitates a project, Governor Abiodun finds a way to frustrate it,” a source alleged.
While the State Government insists on due process, residents argue that what matters most is urgent development.
As 2027 draws closer, many say the governor’s action may prove costly at the polls, especially in Ogun East, where frustration over bad roads is already a major campaign issue.