Former Senator representing Ogun Central and daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress, citing what she described as persistent disrespect, rejection, and poor treatment by the party leadership in Ogun State.
The former lawmaker, who recently contested for the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections, disclosed her decision in a resignation letter dated May 31 and addressed to the Ogun State Chairman of the APC, Chief Yemi Sanusi.
A copy of the letter, which became public on Monday, outlined several grievances that informed her decision to leave the ruling party after only a short period of active participation.
Prof. Obasanjo, a United States-based Associate Professor of Epidemiology, criticized the consensus arrangement that led to the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola as the APC governorship candidate in Ogun State.
According to her, the process that produced Adeola failed to comply with the party’s established guidelines and ignored the principles that should govern a consensus arrangement among aspirants.
The former senator, who represented Ogun Central in the National Assembly from 2007 to 2011, stated that she had repeatedly assured party leaders and supporters that she would respect and abide by any consensus decision reached through a transparent and acceptable process.
However, she alleged that the leadership proceeded with the announcement of a consensus candidate without consulting her or involving her in discussions leading to the decision.
Obasanjo maintained that the APC’s internal rules require consultations and agreement among all aspirants before a candidate can be adopted through consensus.
She also claimed that some of her supporters were prevented from entering the venue where Adeola was announced as the consensus candidate, alleging that violence was used to stop them from participating in the event.
Despite her dissatisfaction with the process, she said she chose to place party unity above personal interests. According to her, she immediately congratulated Adeola after his emergence and publicly pledged her support for his governorship ambition.
She explained that the senator later contacted her to appreciate her conduct and commitment to party unity, after which a meeting was arranged between him and her supporters.
During the meeting, Obasanjo said her supporters presented three requests to Adeola, emphasizing that none of them was mandatory and that the purpose was simply to seek understanding and cooperation.
She disclosed that the APC governorship candidate promised to provide feedback within one week but allegedly failed to respond even after more than two months had passed.
The former Ogun State Commissioner for Health noted that the incident represented only one of several experiences that made her feel undervalued and unwelcome within the party structure.
In the resignation letter, she detailed her frustrations and disappointment with how she was treated despite her contributions toward strengthening grassroots support for the APC across Ogun State.
The letter partly reads:
“When I started the journey to get the party’s nomination for Governor, I came to see you and I said to you and everyone both privately and publicly that I will honor the party’s consensus decision once it has been made.
“When that day came, even as violence was perpetrated against my supporters to stop them from entering the venue, I maintained my calmness.
“At the venue, with no prior meeting with me as a candidate, given what the national party says in its guidelines on what consensus should be, i.e., having meetings where all candidates agree to the candidate that will be announced, a candidate was announced.
“No one acknowledged my presence at the meeting, given that I was the most prominent opposition to the candidate chosen, and I had traversed the state mobilizing and encouraging grassroots APC support.
“Based on my conviction that party unity is important, I wrote my letter accepting the party’s consensus candidate that night, even with the flawed process. The consensus candidate called me the next morning and asked for a meeting with my followers and me, which we had about 2 weeks later.
“At that meeting, my people made 3 requests, which I said were not compulsory, but he should let me know so I would let my people know his responses, and he said I should give him a week.
“Unless he gets back to me after I send this letter, he has not reached out to me after 2 months. This is just part of the general treatment I have received from APC of disrespect and rejection, as if I were not there, making contributions that increased support for the party in Ogun Central and across the state.
“A famous person once said that when disrespect is the only dish served, then one should leave the table. I am therefore leaving the APC table where I am not welcome. This is my resignation from the party.”
Despite the circumstances surrounding her departure, Obasanjo expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Ogun APC Chairman Chief Yemi Sanusi, and Ogun Central Senatorial Chairman Chief Soremi for the cordial relationship she enjoyed with them during her time in the party.
She noted that while she had reservations about her treatment by the party, she remained appreciative of those who welcomed and supported her political participation.
The letter further stated:
“Through you, I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for receiving me warmly as usual, and I thank you and our Ogun Central Senatorial Chairman, Chief Soremi, as both of you treated me well, and I will always remember that. Best Regards.”
Prof. Obasanjo formally returned to active partisan politics in January 2026 when she registered as a member of the APC in Ward 11, Ibogun, within Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Speculation about her political ambitions had intensified months earlier when campaign-style billboards bearing her image appeared in different parts of Abeokuta.
The billboards carried the inscription:
“In Ogun State, we know ourselves. Sen. (Prof.) Iyabo Obasanjo. Omo wa ni, eniyan wa ni, ara wa ni.”
The development fueled discussions about her possible interest in contesting the Ogun governorship election and marked what many observers considered a significant political comeback for the former senator.
Her resignation now raises fresh questions about the political dynamics within the Ogun APC ahead of the 2027 governorship election and whether she will align with another political platform in pursuit of her ambitions.
