Gbenga Daniel: We Persuaded Tinubu to Run for Governor After Exile

Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun State and a prominent figure within the All Progressives Congress (APC), has opened up about a critical turning point in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political career.

In an interview with Channels Television, Daniel recounted how Tinubu’s path to becoming Lagos State governor began after his return from political exile. According to him, it took the encouragement of close allies—including himself—to convince Tinubu to pursue the governorship.

“We were one of the people who pleaded with [Tinubu] to run for governor in Lagos,” Daniel said. “When he came back from exile, he had decided he had conceded governorship to Wahab Mu’azu. They were both on exile and he wanted to go back to the Senate. But those of us who were his people said, no we want you to run for the governorship in Lagos and we did everything that we could to persuade him and luckily he accepted.”

Daniel also spoke about his personal connections with both Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, noting that while he worked closely with Atiku at one point, his ideological leanings remained firmly rooted in the progressive camp Tinubu championed.

His reflections not only highlight the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering of that era but also underscore Tinubu’s journey from exile to political prominence—an evolution that would eventually lead to the presidency.