The Ogun State Government has dismissed claims that Governor Dapo Abiodun is imposing unusually strict technical standards on a constituency road project sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel, describing the allegations as “ridiculous, desperate and politically motivated.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Hon. Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, the government maintained that the standards demanded of the contractor, Minim and Tonye Nigeria Limited, are the same as those applied to all state road projects, insisting they are designed solely to ensure public safety and durability.

According to Akinmade, attempts by Daniel’s associates to pressure the state into lowering its standards amount to “a blatant move to compromise public safety, and such an idea is dead on arrival.”

The statement also dismissed a report allegedly emanating from Senator Daniel’s media team, titled “Dapo Abiodun Takes on Tinubu Over Standard of Road Constructed in Ogun,” describing it as a “hastily assembled fabrication and a name-dropping pile of garbage.”

The government challenged the authors to produce evidence that President Bola Tinubu is executing a 260-metre road project anywhere in Ogun State. It stressed that the claim exposed “a deliberate attempt to confuse Nigerians, who clearly know the difference between Federal Executive Council-approved projects and constituency projects initiated by federal lawmakers.”

The government revealed that the drainage and pavement designs submitted by the contractor failed to meet Federal Ministry of Works (FMW) standards, a fact discovered only after project drawings were forwarded to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

Akinmade said the contractor had been formally notified of the deficiencies in a letter dated 22nd September 2025, and instructed to make corrections and re-submit for approval.

Similarly, he noted that the contractor failed to notify the ministry before commencing work, contravening due process. “He was therefore informed through letter Ref. No. AD. 1198/48, dated 17th September 2025, to formally inform the Ministry about the project and seek necessary approval,” the statement said.

The state also raised concerns over the limited scope of the project, saying the contractor intended to construct just 300 metres out of a 3,000-metre stretch, while the state government had already executed palliative works up to the stone base level on some sections, with full design works nearing completion.

“This directive is not interference,” the statement clarified, “but a constitutional duty to protect the people of Ogun State from substandard work. Identifying clear technical shortcomings is part of the Ministry’s responsibility, not politics.”

Rejecting attempts to link the Presidency to the dispute, the state government said dragging President Tinubu into what is clearly a technical matter was “a needless distraction.”

“Pray, what does the Presidency have to do with a contractor’s failure to meet acceptable technical standards? The antics of the OGD media team will not succeed,” the statement declared.

The government concluded that its insistence on higher-grade concrete, stronger stone base layers, reinforced tensile strength, and full compliance with FMW standards is non-negotiable.

“The Ogun State Government will not compromise on quality, nor allow substandard projects to be executed within the state. The people of Ogun deserve roads that stand the test of time, not propaganda-driven distractions,” Akinmade stated.