Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, a former senator and daughter of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing what she described as persistent disrespect, exclusion and unfair treatment by party leaders in Ogun State.
In a resignation letter dated May 31 and addressed to Ogun State APC Chairman Yemi Sanusi, Obasanjo said her decision followed months of dissatisfaction with the party’s internal processes, particularly the selection of Sen. Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s consensus governorship candidate.
Obasanjo, who recently sought the APC governorship ticket in Ogun State, criticized the consensus process, arguing that it was not conducted in accordance with party guidelines.
She said that although she had agreed to support any candidate chosen through a consensus arrangement, she was neither consulted nor involved before Adeola was announced as the preferred candidate.
According to Obasanjo, some of her supporters were denied access to the venue where Adeola was unveiled and were subjected to intimidation.
Despite her concerns, she said she accepted the outcome in the interest of party unity and publicly congratulated Adeola on the day of his emergence.
Obasanjo said Adeola later requested a meeting with her supporters, during which three requests were presented to him. She said he promised to respond within a week, but no response was received more than two months later.
“The treatment I have received since then has reflected a consistent pattern of rejection and disrespect,” Obasanjo said in the letter. “When disrespect is the only dish served, then one should leave the table.”
She thanked President Bola Tinubu, Ogun APC Chairman Yemi Sanusi and party leaders in Ogun Central Senatorial District for the support and courtesy they extended to her during her time in the party.
Obasanjo returned to active politics earlier this year after registering as an APC member in Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
She previously served as Ogun State commissioner for health from 2003 to 2007 and represented Ogun Central Senatorial District in the Senate from 2007 to 2011.
After losing her bid for re-election in 2011, she relocated to the United States and largely stayed away from partisan politics. Speculation about a political comeback emerged in late 2025 when campaign billboards bearing her image appeared across Abeokuta ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
She later declared her intention to contest the Ogun governorship under the APC before announcing her resignation from the party.
