Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on Thursday, registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Daniel, who was accompanied by his wife, Olufunke, and some associates, registered at his Ward 12, Isote in Sagamu Local Government Area of the state.
The registration came two days after he was officially received into APC by Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Alhaji Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger).
Scores of excited party members on Thursday thronged the ward where Daniel was scheduled to obtain his APC membership slip, chanting solidarity slogans.
The former governor was registered by his Ward Chairman, Suji Olusegun.
The exercise was supervised by the state chairman of APC Membership Registration and Revalidation Committee, Hon. Ademorin Kuye.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Funmi Efuwape, who witnessed the registration, said APC members are happy that the former governor was back into the progressive fold.
Efuwape, a former Chairman of Sagamu Local Government, expressed hope that Daniel would become a rallying point for party members.
She said: “We are happy he (Daniel) is back in the progressive fold. Before Otunba Gbenga Daniel joined the PDP, of course, he was part of the progressives. So, we are happy to have him back and that shows that everybody knows that APC is the party to reckon with in Nigeria.
“We are one family. We know that he’s going to act as a rallying point for we the young ones that are actually on the field. So, we welcome him wholeheartedly.”
The former governor had said his decision to join APC, two years after quitting the PDP, was “well considered and well thought out.”
According to him, Nigeria needs leaders to come together and speak with one voice in order to tackle various challenges confronting the nation.
Daniel said: “To all our people in Ogun State, I can assure that the decision to join the APC is a well considered, well thought out decision.
“More than any time in the history of this country, what we need to do is to speak together with one voice. Our people have challenges, there is despondency in the land because of security challenges and if anybody is patriotic, this is the time for us to join hands.
“And for us in Ogun State, we have no other choice, we have a good governor and we are determined to support him to succeed.”
Receiving Daniel into the ruling party, Abiodun had on Tuesday said the development was historic.
He recalled how Daniel supported his emergence as governor in 2019 and expressed confidence that the ex-governor will add a lot of value to the party.
“Otunba Gbenga Daniel will come with a lot of experience, a lot of wisdom, he is a very dynamic individual, he is referred to as the Lion of the West. He will no doubt add a lot of value to our great party. I have the pleasure of leading my colleagues to receive you into APC,” the governor stated.
