$7bn Deep Seaport: Ogun Govt Slams PDP Candidate Over ‘Broken Promise’ Remark

The Ogun State Government has criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Ogun East, Alhaji Abdul-Hameed Omotayo, over his description of the proposed $7 billion Gateway Deep Seaport investment as “another broken promise,” insisting that agreements and plans for the project are verifiable.

The government, in a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, described Omotayo’s remark as a distortion of facts and an attempt to politicise an investment it said could significantly expand Ogun State’s maritime, industrial and economic capacity.

It said the state government and global port operator DP World MEA FZE signed Memoranda of Understanding in Paris on September 24, 2026, covering the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone. The signing was witnessed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other senior Nigerian officials, alongside representatives of DP World.

According to the government, a statement from the State House indicated that the initiative envisaged an initial investment exceeding $7 billion and the potential creation of 50,000 direct jobs. It maintained that the project should be assessed against the agreements reached, the commitments made and verifiable progress towards implementation.

“How can you describe the deep seaport as another broken promise when concrete steps have been taken to advance the project?” the statement asked.

Akinmade, however, acknowledged that signing an investment agreement was an important stage in the development process, with financing arrangements, regulatory approvals and construction still required to bring the project to fruition.

The government said the proposed port and special economic zone could attract local and international investors, improve logistics and trade, expand industrial activities and create employment opportunities, particularly within the host communities and surrounding areas.

It also dismissed Omotayo’s reported boast that he would defeat Governor Abiodun before noon on election day, describing the remark as political bravado that did not address the development challenges facing Ogun East.

On the PDP’s political standing, Akinmade referenced the reported exclusion of the party’s governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, and his running mate from INEC’s final list of candidates for the 2027 Ogun governorship election. He attributed the controversy to compliance issues involving statutory requirements for party membership registers and urged the opposition party to address its internal challenges.

The government further defended the Abiodun administration’s development record in Ogun East, stating that more than 243.3 kilometres of roads had been constructed or rehabilitated in the district since 2019, out of a statewide total exceeding 1,600 kilometres across the state’s 20 local government areas.

Among the projects cited were the Ijebu-Ode–Mojoda–Epe Road, Sagamu–Iperu–Ode–Sapaade Road, Ejirin–Idowa–Ibefun–Itokin Road in Odogbolu, Tam Balogun Road in Ijebu-Ode and Imodi–Imosan Road. The government also referenced the approval of the J4–Gao Road in Ogun Waterside.

Other interventions highlighted included the construction of more than 150 classroom blocks, primary healthcare projects across the district and the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport at Iperu-Remo.

“These are tangible development interventions whose details can be examined and verified. The debate should be about facts, project delivery and the future of Ogun East, not unsupported allegations,” Akinmade said.

The government urged political stakeholders to distinguish between investment announcements, signed agreements and the subsequent stages of project execution, maintaining that the proposed deep seaport should be assessed through verifiable developments rather than partisan arguments.

While the state government maintains that the agreements represent progress towards delivering the project, the proposed investment’s full realisation will depend on the completion of the necessary financing, regulatory and construction processes.

The Gateway Deep Seaport and Blue Marine Special Economic Zone are expected to strengthen Ogun State’s maritime and industrial capacity, improve trade and logistics, attract investment and generate employment if successfully implemented.