Just In: Daughter of Former Nigerian President Joins APC Ahead of 2027
- Prof Iyabo Obasanjo reportedly registered as a member of the APC in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 general elections
- Party sources and local political figures confirmed her registration at Ibogun Ward 11 in Ifo Local Government
- APC leadership declined to confirm or deny the development as speculation over her political future intensified
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Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, has reportedly joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was disclosed by Hon. Biodun Ajayi, a former chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government and a close political associate of the Obasanjo family.
Source: Twitter
“I can confirm to you that Prof Iyabo Obasanjo on Tuesday, at Ibogun Ward 11 of Ifo Local Government, completed her online registration as a member of our great party, the All Progressives Congress,” Ajayi said.
Sources confirm registration at Ibogun ward
A former member of the House of Representatives from the area, who requested anonymity, also confirmed Obasanjo’s registration at Ibogun, describing the information as accurate.
According to the source, the registration followed the party’s ongoing membership drive in the state.
APC leadership neither confirms nor denies move
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC in Ogun state proved inconclusive.
The party’s Director of Publicity, Mr Femi Nuberu, declined to confirm or deny the report but emphasised that the APC’s membership registration exercise remains open to all eligible Nigerians.
“Our membership drive is open to every Nigerian aged 18 and above,” Nuberu said, without addressing Obasanjo’s reported defection.
Billboards and renewed political speculation
Speculation about Obasanjo’s return to active politics intensified late last year after campaign-style billboards bearing her name appeared in parts of Abeokuta.
The billboards read:
“In Ogun state, we know ourselves. Sen (Prof) Iyabo Obasanjo. Omo wa ni, eniyan wa ni, ara wa ni.”
The development fuelled widespread debate about her political future, with observers expecting her to either return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Last year, the Ogun state Chairman of the ADC, Otunba Femi Soluade, publicly stated that the party was open to receiving her if she expressed interest.
Obasanjo explains billboards, distances self from active campaign
Obasanjo, an Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, has previously addressed the billboards, insisting they were erected by supporters and did not signal an active political ambition, Vanguard reported.
Source: Twitter
Speaking to Remo TV at the 70th birthday celebration of Chief Mrs Gloria Shoda, former National President of the National Council of Women Societies, she said the move was driven by goodwill from former associates.
“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," she said.
She added,
“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.”
Analysts cite independent political stance
Political analysts while speaking with Legit.ng noted that Obasanjo’s reported move to the APC has come as a surprise, given her father’s perceived distance from the ruling party.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo publicly supported Labour Party candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election.
However, a source close to the former senator said her decision reflects her independent political thinking rather than family alignment.
“She has always charted her own political course,” the source said.
2027 election: ‘Why Atiku’s son joined APC
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, has described the decision of Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as "courageous and ideological."
Ahead of the 2027 election, Abba was received into the ruling party on Thursday, January 15, in Abuja by Jibrin and Mustafa Salihu, national vice-chairman of the APC in the north-east. He resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Source: Legit.ng
