ABEOKUTA – Ogun State governorship aspirant, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, has suspended her ambition for the 2027 election following the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the All Progressives Congress consensus candidate.
Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, announced the decision in a statement she personally signed on Monday. She said her decision followed the adoption of Adeola at a caucus meeting of the party held in Abeokuta. “I congratulate him and wish him every success. I also thank the state and national leaders of our great party for the opportunity to participate in the nomination process,” Obasanjo said.
“Based on these developments, I have decided to suspend my gubernatorial aspiration,” she stated. “To my supporters across Ogun State, I am deeply grateful for your calm, steadfast support and unwavering trust throughout this journey. Together, we move forward with patience, strength and hope.”
Adeola, who currently represents Ogun West in the Senate, emerged as the party’s consensus candidate during the meeting at the APC secretariat in Abeokuta. Governor Dapo Abiodun had earlier announced Adeola’s adoption at a strategic stakeholders’ caucus meeting of the party, noting that the decision followed extensive consultations and broad acceptance among key figures. According to the governor, the consensus arrangement is aimed at strengthening party unity, ensuring stability, and sustaining ongoing developmental efforts across the state.
Obasanjo, a former senator representing Ogun Central and former Commissioner for Health, had recently returned to partisan politics after about 15 years and joined the APC. She had ruled out a return to the Senate and declared that her political focus was on a possible bid for the governorship. “The only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship. And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through,” she said in an earlier interview. She also dismissed speculation that she was in the race to negotiate for a lesser political role, stating firmly, “I am not interested in being a deputy governor. If I came into this race to be governor, I do not believe that… I would just say no. I’m not in this race for deputy governor. I’m not in it for a minister.”
Obasanjo’s withdrawal is seen as a major boost to the APC’s cohesion ahead of what is expected to be a competitive governorship election in the state. Adeola, who previously represented Lagos West before moving his political base to Ogun State, currently chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations and is regarded within party circles as a strong contender with significant grassroots appeal.
The former lawmaker also appreciated her supporters across Ogun State for what she described as their calmness, steadfast support, and unwavering trust throughout her political consultations. She expressed gratitude for the “unwavering trust” they reposed throughout the period she declared her intention to run for the south-west state.
