2027: Iyabo Obasanjo joins Ogun guber race
…says ex-president didn’t influence her decision The daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-commissioner for Health in Ogun State, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, has declared intention to run for the
…says ex-president didn’t influence her decision
The daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-commissioner for Health in Ogun State, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, has declared intention to run for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State in 2027.
She dismissed the insinuation that her father influenced her decision to succeed Gov. Dapo Abiodun as the next occupant of Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, in 2027.
She maintained that her aspiration was driven purely by personal conviction and sustained calls from supporters across the state's three geopolitical zones.
Speaking with newsmen on Monday at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, shortly after a courtesy visit to the party leadership, Obasanjo expressed optimism about clinching the party’s ticket ahead of next year's election.
She announced her membership of the APC and her intention to vie for the party’s governorship ticket in Ogun State. Iyabo said, “As you must have read in the news, I’ve joined APC. As a card-carrying member, I have also put myself in the ring to be nominated by the party as the governorship candidate for APC in Ogun State,” she said.
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She also dismissed the widespread assumption of her father's influence in her political trajectory. Iyabo said, “My father is just another Nigerian who will vote for me. He has not presented any platform for me and has not influenced my decision in any way."
Accompanied by top party members from the state, the governorship hopeful, who has been out of active politics, explained that her return followed years of appeals from Ogun residents and political associates, many of whom are now members of the ruling APC.
According to her, “I have not been in active politics for many years. I am back because the people of Ogun State asked for my return. Most of those I have worked with and had positive experiences with are now in APC, and that informed my choice."
Recalling her contributions to the state as a former Commissioner for Health and a Senator, the younger Obasanjo expressed confidence that the goodwill from her service to the state would secure the party’s nomination and lead to her governing the state.
“If you know my efforts when I was Commissioner for Health, we did a lot of good things, and the goodwill from my time in the Senate and as Commissioner is what is making it so easy to mobilize.
“If given the opportunity, I will bring my experience to bear in repositioning Ogun State and strengthening the APC,” she said.
Commenting on the viability of a female governor under the current political dispensation, Obasanjo noted that Nigeria has never had an elected female governor, stressing that it was time women were given greater opportunities in leadership.
“I believe it is very possible for a woman to become governor in Nigeria, and I hope it becomes the norm,” she added.
The former Commissioner for Health said that if given the mandate, she would focus on development, industrial growth, education, science, and technology in preparing the teeming young people in the state for innovation-driven careers.
On the zoning arrangement in the state and whether the governorship ticket might be micro-zoned to Ogun West, Iyabo said she believes the race is open and competitive.
“For me, I’m joining the race because I think it’s open. Nothing is impossible. I’ve been in politics, so I’m not naive,” she said.
Admitting the long-standing agitation for Ogun West to produce a governor, she said, "Every zone deserves a fair chance." She, however, argued that the party must field a candidate capable of winning across all three senatorial districts.
