The Ogun State capital was thrown into a frenzy on Wednesday as a mammoth crowd gathered at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat in Abeokuta to welcome former Senator representing Ogun Central, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, into the party following her defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Party faithful from across the 20 local government areas of the state thronged the venue, chanting her name and hailing her arrival as she made her way to the podium amid cheers and jubilation.
Speaking during her formal acceptance into the PDP, Obasanjo pledged her loyalty to the party and promised to work closely with its leadership to ensure victory in the forthcoming elections.
The former senator, who recently contested for the APC governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 governorship election, openly expressed her dissatisfaction with the process that produced Senator Olamilekan Adeola as the party’s consensus candidate, alleging that she and other aspirants were unfairly sidelined.
Explaining the circumstances that led to her departure from the APC, Obasanjo said her decision was not driven by personal ambition but by what she described as a lack of fairness and inclusiveness within the party.
Obasanjo stated that she had agreed to abide by any consensus arrangement provided it was conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and involved all aspirants.
According to her, “When I returned to active politics, I chose to join the APC because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu treated me with great respect and dignity. He regarded me like his own daughter, gave me my rightful place, and accorded me the recognition I deserved. It was never about money; it was about respect.
“In Yorubaland, prestige and honour are often valued more than money. When you give me prestige and recognition, you earn my loyalty and respect in return.
“Nobody persuaded or begged me to join the APC. It was my people who called me back into politics. They told me that Ogun State was no longer the same as the one I left and urged me to return and contribute once again to its development. I answered that call because the people still remembered the good work I did as a Senator and as a Commissioner in Ogun State. Their support and confidence inspired my return.
“As part of the consultation process, we toured Ogun West and Ogun East and were preparing to move to Ogun Central before a meeting was suddenly called by the party leadership.
According to the APC Constitution, for a consensus candidate to emerge, all aspirants are expected to engage in discussions and consultations before any decision is announced. However, when we arrived at the meeting, a consensus candidate had already been announced.
“We were informed that two aspirants from Ogun West had been persuaded to step down in support of the consensus candidate. At that point, I realized that something was wrong,” she said.
The former senator argued that the process could not be regarded as a genuine consensus because aspirants from Ogun Central and Ogun East were excluded from the consultations.
Obasanjo, who declared her intention to contest the Ogun Central Senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP boasted she and the party’s governorship candidate are true indigene of Ogun State, insisting that the APC is flagging Lagos indigene as flagbearer.
She said “Both Hon. Ladi Adebutu and I come from respected families with a long history of service to the people. Our fathers dedicated their lives to empowering others, creating opportunities and supporting countless individuals across Ogun State.
In his remarks, the PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, described Obasanjo’s defection as a major boost for the party and expressed confidence that the PDP would emerge victorious in the next governorship election.
Adebutu assured party supporters that his administration, if elected, would address what he termed the shortcomings of the current APC-led government and restore good governance to the state.
He also promised to grant full autonomy to local governments, saying grassroots development remained critical to the state’s progress.
Earlier, the Ogun State PDP Chairman, Abayomi Tella, formally presented the party’s membership card and insignia to Obasanjo as a symbol of her official admission into the PDP.
