Ogun 2027: Adebutu’s Campaign DG Defends Gateway Hotels Sale, Raises Questions Over PDP’s Legacy Projects

The Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign organisation of Hon. Ladi Adebutu, Mr. Kehinde Shogunle, has defended the sale of Ogun State-owned Gateway Hotels to the Adebutu family, describing the transaction as a good investment for the state.

Shogunle, a former Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, made the remarks during a radio programme on Rock City FM 101.9 in Abeokuta, where he argued that the transaction was justified by the resources and connections required to revive the hotel business.

According to him, the process was conducted transparently and in the interest of the state, adding that Chief Adebutu had the capacity to mobilise the resources needed to restore the hotels.

“The thing went through a process, and at that point in time, the person that happened to bring in most resources and network to revive Gateway Hotels was Chief Adebutu,” Shogunle said.

He further maintained that the sale of the state-owned hotel assets was not a major issue in the broader development of Ogun State and reiterated his support for the transaction under the Daniel administration.

However, his defence of the sale has brought renewed attention to the fate of Gateway Hotels, a collection of hospitality facilities established as part of Ogun State’s public assets and associated with the state’s earlier development efforts.

The hotels in Abeokuta, Ota and Ijebu-Ode were among the facilities that provided employment opportunities for residents and served the state’s hospitality industry before they were transferred to private interests through sale or lease arrangements.

Gateway Hotels in Abeokuta subsequently became Park Inn by Radisson Abeokuta under private management associated with the Adebutu family.

The controversy raises broader questions about the management and disposal of public assets, including the terms of the transaction, the value realised by the state, the benefits promised to Ogun residents and whether the arrangement delivered the best possible outcome for taxpayers.

While Shogunle has defended the transaction as a necessary investment to revive the hotels, critics may reasonably demand greater public scrutiny of the process and its long-term implications for the state’s finances and public interests.

As political activities ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election gather momentum, the debate over Gateway Hotels is likely to feature in discussions about the records of successive administrations, their approach to public asset management and their commitments to economic development.

The central issue remains whether the transaction adequately protected Ogun State’s interests while securing the investment required to sustain the hotel facilities.