The Ogun State Government has slammed a Labour Party chieftain, Mr. Arabambi Abayomi, over what it described as blatant blackmail and calculated falsehood, following his claim that the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun is selling off government-owned housing assets, including the Ibara Government Reserved Area (GRA).

The government dismissed the allegation as reckless defamation, branding Abayomi an attention-seeking political hustler whose latest outburst, it said, stems from resentment after being shut out by the current administration.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, said the claim was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and sabotage the state’s widely applauded urban renewal programme.

Akinmade described it as dishonest for Abayomi to equate the comprehensive redevelopment of GRAs across Ogun State with the sale of public assets, stressing that the initiative has earned praise from respected national figures.

He listed former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and the General Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, as among prominent Nigerians who have publicly commended the projects, which he said are turning abandoned GRAs into modern smart cities.

“The Ogun State Government is not selling GRAs. It is reclaiming them from decay, clearing shanties, and replacing urban blight with planned, modern housing and infrastructure,” Akinmade said.

He explained that the urban renewal programme covers GRAs in Ibara and Idi-Aba in Abeokuta, Igbeba in Ijebu-Ode, as well as Ilaro and Ota, and includes massive upgrades such as new housing units, motorable roads, drainage networks, potable water, and electricity.

According to him, the redevelopment spans more than 100 hectares, with plans for about 500 housing units in Ibara and 100 units in Idi-Aba, adding that over 150 houses have already been completed.

Akinmade further accused Abayomi of political double-speak, alleging that the Labour Party chieftain had previously organised press conferences to lavish praise on Governor Abiodun in a bid to ingratiate himself with the government, only to turn hostile after being sidelined.

“GRAs are the exclusive property of government. Any serious administration redevelops them; it does not abandon them to rot. That is exactly what this government is doing,” he said.

The government warned the public against falling for what it described as a familiar pattern of manufactured outrage, accusing Abayomi of attacking governments that refuse to indulge him.

“Instead of rebuilding his fractured party, he is peddling falsehoods and chasing relevance. Ogun State will not be distracted by political blackmail,” Akinmade said.