By Ghazali Ibrahim
Former Ogun Central Senator and daughter of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Iyabo Obasanjo, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing alleged marginalisation, rejection and unfair treatment by the party leadership in Ogun State.
In a resignation letter dated May 31, 2026, and addressed to Ogun APC Chairman Yemi Sanusi, the US-based epidemiologist and former lawmaker said her decision followed dissatisfaction with the process that produced Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi) as the party’s governorship candidate.
Obasanjo, who recently sought the APC ticket for the 2027 Ogun governorship election, argued that the consensus arrangement that led to Adeola’s emergence did not comply with the party’s established guidelines.
According to her, although she had pledged to support any candidate produced through a genuine consensus process, she was neither consulted nor involved before Adeola was announced as the party’s preferred candidate.
She further alleged that some of her supporters were denied access to the venue where the candidate was unveiled and were intimidated during the exercise.
Despite her reservations, Obasanjo said she accepted the outcome in the interest of party unity and publicly congratulated Adeola on the day he emerged as candidate.
The former senator disclosed that Adeola later met with her supporters, who presented three demands during the meeting. However, she claimed that more than two months after promising to respond within a week, the senator had yet to provide any feedback.
“I committed myself to supporting any candidate that emerged through a consensus arrangement, but I was not consulted before Senator Adeola was announced. Some of my supporters were denied entry to the venue and intimidated. Nevertheless, I accepted the decision in the interest of unity and publicly congratulated him that same night,” she stated.
Obasanjo said the failure to address the concerns raised by her supporters reinforced what she described as a longstanding pattern of disregard and lack of appreciation for her contributions to the party.
According to her, the events surrounding the primary and their aftermath reflected persistent rejection and disrespect, ultimately prompting her decision to leave the APC.
However, she expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the Ogun APC leadership and other party stakeholders for the support and courtesies extended to her during her time in the ruling party.
Obasanjo returned to active partisan politics earlier this year after registering as an APC member in Ward 11, Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
She previously served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007 and represented Ogun Central Senatorial District in the Senate between 2007 and 2011.
After losing her re-election bid in 2011, she relocated to the United States and remained largely absent from frontline politics until late 2025, when campaign billboards bearing her image appeared across Ogun State, signalling a potential return ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.
Her resignation now raises fresh questions about the political landscape in Ogun State as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
