Iyabo Obasanjo Resigns from APC, Alleges Marginalisation in Ogun Governorship Race
Former senator and governorship aspirant, Professor Iyabo Obasanjo, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing what she described as persistent disrespect, exclusion and unfair treatment by the party leadership in Ogun State.
In a resignation letter dated May 31 and addressed to the Ogun State APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, Obasanjo expressed dissatisfaction with the process that led to the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s governorship candidate.
The former lawmaker argued that the consensus arrangement used to produce the candidate did not follow the established guidelines of the party. She said that although she had pledged to support any aspirant who emerged through a genuine consensus process, she was neither consulted nor involved before Adeola was announced as the preferred candidate.
Obasanjo further alleged that some of her supporters were prevented from accessing the venue where the candidate was unveiled and were subjected to intimidation during the exercise.
Despite her reservations, she said she accepted the outcome in the interest of party unity and immediately congratulated Adeola on his emergence as the candidate.
According to her, the senator later requested a meeting with her supporters, during which they presented three key demands. However, she claimed that although Adeola promised to respond within a week, no feedback had been received more than two months after the meeting.
She said the lack of response reinforced what she viewed as a recurring pattern of neglect and disregard for her contributions and supporters 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 stated.
The former senator added that the events following the primary election convinced her that she was not valued within the party, ultimately leading to her decision to leave the APC.
However, she thanked President Bola Tinubu, the Ogun State APC leadership and other party stakeholders for the support and courtesies extended to her during her membership of the party.
Iyabo Obasanjo rejoined active 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 losing her re-election bid in 2011, she relocated to the United States and remained largely absent from partisan politics until late 2025, when campaign posters and billboards bearing her image began appearing across parts of Ogun State, signalling her intention to contest the 2027 governorship election.
She later formally declared her governorship ambition on the APC platform before eventually announcing her resignation from the party.
