It was a melodrama at the palace of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, on Thursday, during the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the paramount ruler. Tokunbo Talabi, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, embarrassingly breached protocol.

In an apparent continuation of the onslaught of the Governor Dapo Abiodun henchmen against former governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the SSG disrupted the duly arranged sitting arrangement for the August visitor, causing a stir and a moment of embarrassment for his boss, Governor Abiodun.

Eyewitnesses at the event told our correspondent, under anonymity, that prior to the coming of the state officials, the Awujale Palace protocol had arranged seats with tags for all the envisaged VIPs including former governors Daniel and Akinrogun Segun Osoba.

But as soon as Talabi entered the Monarch's court, he ordered that the tag for Daniel be removed and his seat be relocated among the crowd.

Meanwhile, the former governor, who is also a first-class chief in the Royal Court of the Awujale was outside waiting to bring in President Tinubu while Talabi was perfecting his humiliation.

When Daniel eventually led Tinubu into the palace and discovered that his seat had been taken away, he chose to stand while others were seated.

This development elicited the consternation of the dignitaries who wondered why such protocol disorder could be meted out on a former two-term governor who is also representing Ijebuland at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.

To salvage the ensuing embarrassment, the palace protocol and some well-meaning elders like Sen. Gbenga Kaka pleaded with Daniel to take the seat of Chief Osoba who had already left the palace for Abeokuta. Still, Talabi insisted Daniel could not sit there and told him to stand up and find his place among the crowd.

It was at this instance that Abiodun and some elders intervened to rebuke Talabi while Daniel was ushered to sit with his friends Dele Alake and NSA Nuhu Ribadu.

With his action at the Awujale Palace, Talabi, who many say is the de-facto deputy governor, has again confirmed the complaints of many Ogun elites about his indiscretions which many say have become the 'Achilles heel' of his principal's administration.

Many critics say Talabi, who was tapped by Governor Abiodun for the Ogun plumb job from his comatose printing business, has been acting true to his name 'Tokunbo' (meaning he came from abroad). They say his shortcomings in handling the business of government as SSG stem from the fact that he was never a practising politician and also did not have a strong connection with the grassroots prior to stumbling into power.

His aloofness and abhorrent behaviour to traditional, religious and community-development institutions is said to be the chief reason why many blocs and bodies in the state are angry with the government of Dapo Abiodun.

Unlike prior SSGs who dutifully compensate for their principal's deficiencies, Talabi is said to be worse than Abiodun and is only preoccupied with accumulating wealth for himself and acting as a front and bagman for his principal via several phoney companies they are using to syphon huge-money contracts.

Sources say in less than six months of coming into government, Talabi coordinated the acquisition of posh properties in the affluent Banana Island neighbourhood in Lagos. They say his newfound sudden wealth might be one of the reasons he has become so cocky lately.

Ass licking thread

Seems this OP is a paid attack dog to mar the image of Dapo Abiodun.

Not possible

Empty write-(off) up

Gbenga Daniel, the betrayal is not to be trusted.

Aswear Gbenga Daniel is too cheap.

I saw the video of the president visiting Alake, Saw the likes of OGD, Osoba, Amosun, Bankole..

Why is it only OGD camp that is crying fowl. OGD shouldn't beat his drum too much oo