Former Ogun Central senator and daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party leadership in Ogun State of treating her with disrespect, rejection, and neglect.
Her resignation was contained in a letter dated May 31 and addressed to the Ogun State APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi. The letter became public on Monday.
Prof. Obasanjo, who recently sought the party’s governorship ticket for the 2027 election, criticised the process that produced Senator Solomon Adeola as the APC’s consensus candidate. She argued that the decision did not comply with the party’s guidelines, which require consultations and agreement among all aspirants before adopting a consensus candidate.
According to the former lawmaker, she had publicly and privately pledged to respect any consensus reached by the party. However, she said she was never consulted before Adeola was announced as the preferred candidate.
She also alleged that some of her supporters were violently prevented from entering the venue where the announcement was made.
Despite her dissatisfaction with the process, Obasanjo said she chose to place party unity above personal interests by immediately congratulating Adeola and pledging support for his governorship ambition.
She disclosed that the senator later contacted her to appreciate her gesture and subsequently met with her and her supporters. During the meeting, her supporters presented three requests, which she described as non-compulsory, while Adeola reportedly promised to respond within a week.
However, she claimed that more than two months passed without any feedback, describing the silence as part of a broader pattern of disregard she experienced within the party.
In her resignation letter, Obasanjo said she remained calm even when violence was allegedly used to stop her supporters from accessing the venue where the consensus candidate was announced. She added that no one acknowledged her presence despite her efforts in mobilising grassroots support for the APC across Ogun State.
She stated that although she accepted the consensus decision for the sake of party unity, the subsequent treatment she received made it clear that her contributions were neither recognised nor appreciated.
Quoting what she described as a famous saying that “when disrespect is the only dish served, one should leave the table,” Obasanjo declared that she was leaving the APC because she no longer felt welcome.
Despite her decision to quit the party, she expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Ogun APC Chairman Chief Yemi Sanusi, and Ogun Central Senatorial Chairman Chief Soremi for the kindness they showed her during her time in the party.
Prof. Obasanjo formally joined the APC in January after registering in Ward 11, Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. Her return to partisan politics had generated speculation months earlier when campaign-style billboards bearing her image appeared across Abeokuta, fueling discussions about her governorship ambition ahead of the 2027 elections.