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 ongoing marginalization, rejection, and unfair treatment by the Ogun State party leadership.
In a resignation letter dated May 31 and delivered to Yemi Sanusi, the state party chairman, Obasanjo, who recently ran for the APC governorship in Ogun State, made her choice known.
The former legislator and epidemiologist from the United States criticized the consensus arrangement that resulted in Solomon Adeola, also known as Yayi, as the party’s governorship candidate, 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 consensual process, she was not consulted or involved prior to Adeola being declared the party’s preferred candidate.
She further 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 became the candidate and accepted the result for the sake of party unity.
She revealed that once the senator asked to meet with her supporters, they made three demands. But more than two months later, she said, no feedback had been received, despite a commitment to reply within a week.
The former senator claimed that the event confirmed what she called a persistent pattern of disdain and undervaluation for her position within the party.
“I promised to back any candidate chosen through a consensus process, but I wasn’t informed prior to Senator Adeola’s announcement. Some of my fans were bullied and refused access to the event. Nevertheless, I officially congratulated him that same evening and accepted the choice in the spirit of unity,” she said.
She continued by saying that even though Adeola later met with her followers and pledged to address concerns brought up at the meeting, no answer had been received.
Obasanjo claims that the treatment she endured during the primary demonstrated 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 courtesy throughout her tenure in the APC.
Earlier this year, Obasanjo joined the APC in Ward 11, Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, marking her comeback to partisan politics.
Before serving Ogun Central Senatorial District in the Senate from 2007 to 2011, she was 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 before the 2027 governorship contest.
Before finally declaring her resignation from the party, she later stated her desire to run for Ogun governor on the APC platform.
