Former Senator and daughter of ex-President Obasanjo, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, confirms APC membership, cites party turmoil in PDP
“APC Is My Natural Home” — Iyabo Obasanjo Dumps PDP, Returns to Politics Ahead of 2027
Daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Senator representing Ogun Central, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, has officially confirmed her return to frontline politics, announcing her defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Iyabo described the APC as her “natural home,” effectively ending months of political speculation surrounding her next move after over a decade away from elective politics.
She made the disclosure on Saturday during an interview with Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami on 103.7FM Eagle7 Sports, monitored by NewsHeadline247 in Abeokuta.
The former senator revealed that her decision to re-enter politics after nearly 15 years was driven by sustained pressure from supporters who had independently mobilised for her return.
“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, I did not form them into a group, have been working, I think, for two years now,” Iyabo said.
“And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back.’”
Iyabo Obasanjo, who served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health and later as Senator for Ogun Central between 2007 and 2011, lost her re-election bid in 2011 to Senator Gbenga Obadara of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Following the defeat, she relocated to the United States, where she focused on academia and rose to the rank of Professor, effectively stepping away from Nigerian partisan politics.
Explaining why a return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not an option, Iyabo cited deep-rooted instability within the opposition party.
“I couldn’t go back to the PDP because of all kinds of turmoil,” she said.
She disclosed that she also considered the African Democratic Congress (ADC) but ruled it out due to unresolved internal organisation.
“They don’t have their ducks in a row yet; they’re still working on it,” she noted.
Iyabo said she carried out extensive consultations before settling for the APC, adding that virtually everyone who encouraged and supported her return to politics are now members of the ruling party.
“So, I think APC is my natural home. I don’t have any animosity towards any individual or any group within the APC. I feel comfortable with all the actors I know within the APC,” she said.
“I feel more comfortable, actually, than with some of the actors I know in the PDP… So I think it’s my natural home. I feel quite confident and happy to have made that decision.”
“I have an absolute 100% feeling it’s my natural home.”
NewsHeadline247 further gathered that Iyabo Obasanjo has formally sealed her membership of the APC after participating in the party’s ongoing e-registration exercise at Ibogun, Ward 11, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Her entry into the APC is widely seen as a significant political development in Ogun State, especially as alignments and power blocs begin to take shape ahead of the fiercely anticipated 2027 elections. Read More
