Iyabo Obasanjo, a former senator from Ogun Central and the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing persistent marginalisation, rejection, and unfair treatment by Ogun State’s party leadership.
In a resignation letter dated May 31 and addressed to Yemi Sanusi, the state party chairman, Obasanjo—who recently ran for the APC governorship in Ogun State—announced her decision.
The US-based epidemiologist and former lawmaker criticised the consensus arrangement that resulted in Solomon Adeola, also known as Yayi, as the party’s candidate for governor, claiming that it did not follow the APC’s set rules.
She claimed that although she had promised to back any candidate chosen through a consensus process, she was not consulted or involved prior to Adeola’s eventual announcement as the party’s preferred candidate.
She also claimed that some of her supporters were intimidated during the exercise and were not allowed to enter the location where the candidate was unveiled.
Despite her reservations, Obasanjo stated that she congratulated Adeola as soon as he emerged as the candidate and accepted the result for the sake of party unity.
She revealed that the senator later asked to meet with her supporters, who made three demands. But more than two months later, she said, no response had been received, even though she had promised to reply within a week.
The development, according to the former senator, reaffirmed what she called a persistent pattern of contempt and undervaluation for her position within the party.
“I promised to back any candidate chosen by consensus, but I wasn’t consulted prior to Senator Adeola’s announcement. Some of my supporters were intimidated and refused entry to the event. However, I publicly congratulated him that same evening and accepted the decision for the sake of unity,” she said.
She continued by saying that even though Adeola later met with her supporters and pledged to address concerns brought up during the meeting, no response had been received.
Obasanjo claims that the treatment she endured following the primary was indicative of ongoing disdain and rejection, which ultimately affected her choice to quit the party.
She did, however, thank President Bola Tinubu, the Ogun APC leadership, and party members for their support and kindness throughout her tenure in the APC.
Earlier this year, Obasanjo registered as an APC member in Ward 11, Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, marking her return to partisan politics.
Before representing Ogun Central Senatorial District in the Senate from 2007 to 2011, she held the position of Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007.
She moved to the United States after her unsuccessful 2011 reelection attempt, and she mostly avoided active politics until late 2025, when her image appeared on campaign billboards throughout Ogun State, hinting at a potential comeback ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.
Before finally announcing her resignation from the party, she later declared her desire to run for Ogun governor on the APC platform.
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