Defying Old Rifts, Iyabo Obasanjo Steps Forward Under Tinubu’s Banner

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has declared her intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State. In March 2026, she formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), aligning herself with the ruling party at the national level.

Her move has drawn attention because of her family name. She is the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose relationship with President Bola Tinubu has often been described by commentators as distant and occasionally tense. It is this backdrop that gives her political choice added weight.

Madam Iyabo has made clear that her ambition is personal. She says her decision to run was not initiated by her father and that he is simply “another Nigerian” who will vote if she secures her party’s ticket. There has been no formal endorsement from the former president.

Her political résumé is not new. She served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007 and later represented Ogun Central in the Senate between 2007 and 2011. This time, she says she will not seek a return to the Senate but is focused solely on the governorship.

Her choice of platform is also strategic. By joining the APC, her goal seems to be to place herself under President Tinubu’s political structure. She has publicly praised his economic reforms, pointing to what she describes as currency stabilisation efforts and major infrastructure projects. She has specifically commended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project, arguing that it could ease congestion and support development in Ogun State. These statements position her as supportive of the administration’s broader reform agenda.

Whether she secures the APC ticket is another matter. Party primaries are ordinarily competitive, and Ogun politics has its own internal dynamics. Presidential backing, if it comes, could influence the race, but no such endorsement has been announced.

For now, Madam Iyabo’s candidacy represents an unusual moment: the daughter of a former president, stepping forward under the banner of a party led by a man her father has not always agreed with. How that plays out will shape the road to 2027.