The National Vice Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, has ignited a fresh political storm in Ogun State, faulting the decision of the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) to honour Governor Dapo Abiodun, insisting that the institution exists solely because of the vision of former governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD).
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, January 30, 2026, Arabambi dismissed the honour as undeserved and challenged the Abiodun administration to publicly identify its concrete contributions to the growth of the university.
“There is no TASUED without Otunba Gbenga Daniel. That is not opinion; it is history,” Arabambi said.
“The real issue is simple and unavoidable: what measurable impact has Governor Dapo Abiodun made on TASUED to justify this honour?”
The Labour Party chieftain described TASUED as the singular educational legacy of OGD, noting that the former governor conceived, established and defended the institution at a time it faced stiff political and institutional resistance.
According to Arabambi, attempts to minimise or sideline OGD’s foundational role amount to a deliberate rewriting of history.
What we are witnessing is an attempt at intellectual dishonesty,” he said.
“You cannot erase the architect of a university and replace him with a beneficiary of circumstance.”
Arabambi accused the current administration of failing to deliver any transformational intervention at TASUED since assuming office in 2019, arguing that the university continues to struggle with infrastructural decay, poor funding, staff welfare concerns and an unconducive learning environment.
“Under this administration, TASUED has not experienced any landmark expansion, policy reform or legacy-defining investment,” he stated.
“So on what academic or moral grounds is this honour being conferred?”
He further alleged that the decision to honour the governor was politically motivated, warning that academic institutions must not be turned into platforms for political image laundering.
“Universities should stand for truth, integrity and historical accuracy,” Arabambi said.
“They must not be reduced to instruments for political validation or convenience.”
The Labour Party leader cautioned that celebrating leaders without verifiable impact undermines TASUED’s credibility and diminishes the sacrifices of those who laboured to build the institution from the ground up.
“OGD’s imprint on TASUED is visible, permanent and undeniable,” he added.
“Until Governor Abiodun can point to clear, lasting and measurable contributions to the university, any attempt to honour him remains unjustified.”
Arabambi called on TASUED’s management and stakeholders to defend the institution’s legacy, resist political pressure and uphold historical truth, warning that compromising academic integrity for short-term political gains could damage the university’s reputation.