Iyabo Obasanjo Leaves APC, Claims She Was Marginalized

Former Ogun Central senator and daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Iyabo Obasanjo, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that she has been repeatedly marginalized, rejected and treated unfairly by the party leadership in Ogun State.

Obasanjo, who had recently sought the APC’s governorship nomination in Ogun State, announced her resignation in a letter dated 31 May addressed to state party chairman Yemi Sanusi.

The US‑based epidemiologist and former lawmaker criticized the process that produced Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s governorship candidate. She said the consensus arrangement that led to Adeola’s selection did not follow the APC’s established guidelines.

According to Obasanjo, she had agreed to support any candidate that emerged through a consensus process, yet she was neither consulted nor involved before Adeola was announced as the preferred candidate.

She also alleged that some of her supporters were denied access to the venue where the candidate was unveiled and were subjected to intimidation during the exercise.

Despite these concerns, Obasanjo said she accepted the outcome for the sake of party unity and immediately congratulated Adeola after his emergence as the candidate.

She revealed that the senator later requested a meeting with her supporters, during which they presented three demands. Obasanjo claimed that, although a response was promised within a week, no feedback had been received more than two months later.

The former senator said the development reinforced a recurring pattern of disregard and a lack of appreciation for her role within the party.

“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 added that although Adeola later met with her supporters and promised to address the issues raised, no response had followed.

According to Obasanjo, the treatment she received after the primary reflected persistent rejection and disrespect, which ultimately influenced her decision to leave the party.

She expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the Ogun APC leadership and party stakeholders for the support and courtesies extended to her during her time in the APC.

Obasanjo returned to partisan politics earlier this year when she registered as an APC member in Ward 11, Ibogun, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

She previously served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health between 2003 and 2007 before representing Ogun Central Senatorial District in the Senate from 2007 to 2011.

After an unsuccessful re‑election bid in 2011, she relocated to the United States and largely stayed away from active politics until late 2025, when campaign billboards bearing her image appeared across parts of Ogun State, signalling a possible return ahead of the 2027 governorship race.

She subsequently declared her ambition to contest the Ogun governorship election on the platform of the APC before ultimately announcing her resignation from the party.