Former Senator representing Ogun Central, Iyabo Obasanjo, on Wednesday explained that her decision to leave the All Progressives Congress for the Peoples Democratic Party was informed by what she described as a lack of fairness, inclusiveness and due process in the APC's governorship selection process ahead of the 2027 election.

Obasanjo spoke during a rally organised by the PDP to formally receive her into the party at its secretariat in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The former lawmaker, who recently sought the APC governorship ticket, alleged that aspirants from Ogun Central and Ogun East were excluded from the consultations that led to the emergence of Senator Olamilekan Adeola as the party's consensus governorship candidate.

She maintained that she had no objection to a consensus arrangement but insisted that such a process must be conducted in line with the party's constitution and involve all aspirants.

According to her, “As part of the consultation process, we toured Ogun West and Ogun East and were preparing to move to Ogun Central before a meeting was suddenly called by the party leadership.

“According to the APC Constitution, for a consensus candidate to emerge, all aspirants are expected to engage in discussions and consultations before any decision is announced. However, when we arrived at the meeting, a consensus candidate had already been announced.”

Obasanjo added that the process fell short of the requirements for a genuine consensus.
She said, “We were informed that two aspirants from Ogun West had been persuaded to step down in support of the consensus candidate. At that point, I realised that something was wrong. The process could not be regarded as a true consensus because aspirants from Ogun Central and Ogun East were not part of the consultations.”

The former senator disclosed that she joined the APC out of respect for President Bola Tinubu, whom she said treated her with dignity and recognition when she returned to active politics.

“When I returned to active politics, I chose to join the APC because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu treated me with great respect and dignity. He regarded me like his own daughter and accorded me the recognition I deserved. It was never about money; it was about respect,” she said.

She added, “In Yorubaland, prestige and honour are often valued more than money. When you give me prestige and recognition, you earn my loyalty and respect in return.”
Obasanjo further revealed that her return to politics was at the instance of supporters who urged her to contribute to the development of Ogun State.

“Nobody persuaded or begged me to join the APC. It was my people who called me back into politics. They told me that Ogun State was no longer the same as the one I left and urged me to return and contribute once again to its development,” she said.

Officially declaring for the PDP, Obasanjo pledged loyalty to the opposition party and announced her intention to contest the Ogun Central Senatorial seat on its platform.
The event attracted party faithful from across the 20 local government areas of the state, who welcomed the former senator with cheers and chants.

In his remarks, the PDP governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, described Obasanjo's defection as a major boost for the party and expressed confidence that the PDP would emerge victorious in the 2027 governorship election.

Earlier, the Ogun State PDP Chairman, Abayomi Tella, formally presented the party's membership card and insignia to Obasanjo, signifying her official admission into the party.