In yet another humiliating legal defeat for the Ogun State Government, the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan has on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, dismissed yet another application filed by Governor Dapo Abiodun, over the controversial demolition of DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode.
DATKEM is a commercial property owned by Olufunke Daniel, wife of former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
The appeal, marked CA/IB/M.110/2025, was an application by the Ogun State Government seeking additional time to appeal a previous ruling.
However, the Appellate Court struck out the application, describing it as an abuse of the judicial process, further emphasising the Dapo Abiodun-led government’s reckless attempts to obstruct justice.
The latest development is the second time the state government’s legal manoeuvres will end up getting dismissed this year.
A previous application was thrown out on the 11th of February, 2025, prompting legal observers to accuse the Ogun State government of intentionally delaying justice and avoiding accountability.
Despite the continuous judicial failure, the Ogun State Government still have 3 appeal chances left: CA/IB/118/2024, CA/IB/154/2024, plus CA/IB/155/2024, and these appeals will be prosecuted using taxpayers’ funds.
According to top legal experts, the Government is clearly trying to drag the matter through the court system for as long as possible, and the judiciary itself, via several remarks during court appearances, expressed its unhappiness at what it considers an intentional stalling.
Recall that the dispute started in September 2023, when Ogun State Government operatives, under the direct order of Governor Dapo Abiodun, illegally demolished DATKEM Plaza, a 5-storey commercial building located in the heart of Ijebu Ode.
The building, which was set to be completed and had obtained the required approvals and compliance documents from relevant authorities, was brought down in the early hours of the day, an action that has since been described as politically motivated and particularly vindictive.
Even after documents were submitted to prove that the structure was lawfully constructed, the Abiodun-led government defended its action, referencing different claims of regulatory violations.
However, various independent investigations and court filings have exposed the government’s claims as false, triggering lots of criticism from political observers and legal practitioners all across the country.
Immediately after the building was demolished, Mrs. Olufunke Daniel dragged the state government to court, describing the act as an unlawful destruction and targeted harassment.
Despite the Ogun State High Court granting Olufunke injunctions restraining further actions by the government, the Dapo Abiodun-led administration refused to accept defeat – a decision that has led to its court marathon filled with flawed and weak applications.
The recurring dismissals by the Appeal Court prove the increasing perception that Governor Dapo’s administration is not just stubborn enough to refuse to take responsibility for its actions, it is also prepared to keep weaponizing the legal system until its critics give up.
The back-to-back defeats and the obvious vendetta against the wife of a former governor have attracted massive backlash from Nigerians and political stakeholders.
Several citizens believe the war against the Daniel family is a result of an unending rivalry between political blocs in Ogun State, with allegations that Dapo Abiodun is using state resources for personal revenge.
Analysts have also said that the eventual outcome of the dragged out appeals – and whether the judiciary will punish the government for its actions in the end – will establish the legacy of Dapo Abiodun, as either a governor that respected and regarded the rule of law, or a leader that rubbished the constitution and became power-drunk.
As of today, the odds are clearly not in his favour, especially as the courts keep referring to his appeals as “desperate and legally indefensible.”
