The Daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo has joined the Governorship race in Ogun State.
Obasanjo declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while speaking on Saturday during an interview with Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami on 103.7FM Eagle7 Sports, which he confirmed her membership of the APC.
The former senator had participated in the ongoing APC e-registration exercise at Ibogun, Ward 11, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, formally sealing her membership of the ruling party.
She represented the Ogun Central Senatorial District between 2007 and 2011, but lost her re-election bid in 2011 to Senator Gbenga Obadara of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Following her defeat, she returned to the United States to focus on her academic career, eventually rising to the rank of professor.
The former federal lawmaker is also a renowned epidemiologist, and had served as Commissioner for Health in Ogun State.
Obasanjo also announced her intention to contest for the governorship of the state under the APC.
Iyabo ruled out going back to the Senate, saying she is running in the governorship race.
“So moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the same party because I think that’s old and I don’t see the use of it.
And I’m not going to go back to the Senate.
“Like the American would say, there’s no need. And this is what I told my associates, when this all started. I said, the only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship.
“And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it,” she said.
Responding to questions from one of the callers, the former senator challenged the senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to a contest for the APC governorship ticket.
Though he has yet to declare his intention to run, Yayi is considered one of the leading APC governorship aspirants in the state.
During the programme, a caller, Mr Adeyeye, from Ejio in Ewekoro Local Government, asked: “Madam Iyabo, you’re welcome to the APC. The initial person we are hoping to vote for in the 2027 election is Adeola Yayi. Are you now going to contest the primary against him or what? Thank you.”
Responding, Iyabo said “Definitely.
That’s a definite yes. There is no two ways about it. I’m in APC, he (Yayi) is in APC. So, if he is going to contest the governorship, then I’m going to contest the Governorship (primary) in APC with him. It’s a definite yes.
“I’m always a very clear person. Anybody that knows me , you can get a clear answer from me. Yes, Mr Yinka Adeyeye, from Ewekoro.”
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