Former senator and daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), barely months after losing the party’s governorship ticket in Ogun State.
In a resignation letter dated May 31 and addressed to Ogun APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, Obasanjo accused the party leadership of subjecting her to persistent disrespect, rejection and unfair treatment throughout and after the governorship selection process.
The former Ogun Central senator, who returned to partisan politics earlier this year after years away from the political scene, said her decision followed what she described as a flawed consensus arrangement that produced Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s candidate ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
READ ALSO
According to Obasanjo, she publicly committed herself to supporting any aspirant that emerged through a genuine consensus process. However, she alleged that she was neither consulted nor engaged before Adeola was eventually announced as the consensus candidate.
She also claimed that some of her supporters were prevented from accessing the venue where the candidate was unveiled and faced intimidation during the process.
The former senator argued that the process fell short of the APC’s own guidelines governing consensus candidacy, insisting that key stakeholders were not adequately consulted before the announcement.
Despite her reservations, Obasanjo said she accepted the outcome in the interest of party unity and immediately congratulated Adeola following his emergence.
She disclosed that the senator later reached out and requested a meeting with her supporters. During the engagement, she said three requests were presented to him, adding that he promised to respond within one week.
According to her, no response was received more than two months later.
She described the development as part of a broader pattern of disregard for her contributions to the APC in Ogun State.
Announcing her departure from the party, Obasanjo said she was leaving because she no longer felt welcomed within the political platform.
Her resignation marks a dramatic end to a political comeback that began in late 2025 when campaign billboards bearing her image appeared across Abeokuta, sparking speculation about her governorship ambition.
She formally joined the APC in January 2026 after registering in Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area, and subsequently launched her bid to succeed Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2027.
Before relocating to the United States after losing her Senate re-election bid in 2011, Obasanjo served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health between 2003 and 2007 and represented Ogun Central Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011.
Despite her grievances, the former lawmaker expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, Chief Sanusi and Ogun APC leaders, particularly Chief Soremi, for the support and courtesy extended to her during her brief stay in the party.
Her exit is expected to fuel fresh political calculations ahead of the 2027 Ogun governorship race, with observers closely watching her next political move and whether she will align with another platform in the coming months.
