Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has reportedly registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, according to a former chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government.
The claim was made by Hon. Biodun Ajayi, a former chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government and a close ally of Obasanjo, who spoke to PUNCH Online on Wednesday.
“I can confirm to you that Prof Iyabo Obasanjo on Tuesday at Ibogun Ward 11 of Ifo Local Government, completed her online registration as member of our great party, the All Progressives Congress,” Ajayi told PUNCH Online.
A former House of Representatives member from the area, who spoke anonymously, also confirmed Obasanjo’s registration at Ibogun, describing it as accurate.
Attempts to get a reaction from the APC in Ogun State were inconclusive.
The party’s Director of Publicity, Mr Femi Nuberu, neither denied nor confirmed Obasanjo’s registration but stressed that the ongoing membership drive is open to every Nigerian aged 18 and above.
Obasanjo, an Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, has in the past held political offices, including Commissioner for Health (2003–2007) and Senator representing Ogun Central (2007–2011).
Her campaign billboards surfaced in Abeokuta late last year, fuelling speculation about a possible return to politics for the 2027 elections.
The billboards bore the message: “In Ogun State, we know ourselves. Sen (Prof) Iyabo Obasanjo. Omo wa ni, eniyan wa ni, ara wa ni.”
Political observers had expected Obasanjo to either return to her former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, or join the African Democratic Congress.
Last year, the Ogun State ADC Chairman, Otunba Femi Soluade, said the party was open to receiving her if she reached out.
Analysts note that Obasanjo’s move to the ruling party may come as a surprise given her father’s perceived distance from the APC—he had supported Peter Obi of the Labour Party during the 2023 presidential election.
A source close to the former senator, who asked to remain anonymous, said her decision reflects her independent political thinking.
Obasanjo herself has previously acknowledged the campaign billboards in Abeokuta, saying they were erected by supporters and not an indication of active pursuit of office.
Speaking to Remo TV at the 70th birthday of Chief Mrs. Gloria Shoda, former National President of the National Council of Women Societies, she said, “There are some people who have worked with me in the past. They came together and said, ‘This is who we like.’ I told them to stop it—that I am living a good life. I live in the US, I teach at the university, and I am fine.
“However, people told me to let them be, after all, they are not asking me for money. They said it was a sign of love and that I did well while in politics.
“They said stopping them would dampen their enthusiasm. So I have allowed them. Nobody can say I am actively campaigning for anything, but I have given these people the go-ahead.”
She added that the renewed calls for her to return to politics reflect the principle that “if you do good, people will come back,” noting that any future political move rests with God and her supporters.
Obasanjo, born April 27, 1967, trained as a veterinary doctor at the University of Ibadan and previously served as Commissioner for Health and as Senator for Ogun Central. Her 2011 re-election bid was unsuccessful, after which she returned to the United States.
(Punch)
