Iyabo Obasanjo withdraws from 2027 Ogun governorship race

Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has suspended her 2027 Ogun State governorship bid following the APC’s endorsement of Senator Solomon Adeola as its consensus candidate.

Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has announced the suspension of her aspiration to contest the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State. In a statement released on Monday, the former senator and commissioner disclosed that she would no longer be pursuing the seat under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This sudden withdrawal comes just weeks after her high-profile declaration for the race, where she had initially expressed confidence in her ability to secure the party’s mandate and become the state’s first elected female governor.

The decision was directly attributed to the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as “Yayi,” as the party’s preferred choice for the succession. On Monday, Governor Dapo Abiodun officially named Adeola, who currently represents Ogun West in the Senate, as the consensus candidate of the APC following a strategic caucus meeting. Obasanjo-Bello noted that the party’s decision to settle on a unified flagbearer played a decisive role in her move to step aside, signaling a desire to maintain party cohesion ahead of the 2027 polls.

While her exit narrows the field of aspirants within the ruling party, it also solidifies Senator Adeola’s position as the frontrunner to succeed Governor Abiodun. Prior to this development, Iyabo Obasanjo had been actively engaging stakeholders, citing her record in public service and calls from residents as her primary motivation for entering the race. However, the early endorsement of a consensus candidate marks a significant shift in the state’s political landscape, as the APC moves to consolidate its structure nearly a year before the primary season begins.

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