Iyabo Obasanjo, a former Ogun governorship hopeful on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, has raised concerns over the process that produced the party’s consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
On April 13, 2026, Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, announced Solomon Adeola, senator representing Ogun west, as the preferred governorship candidate of the APC in the state for the 2027 elections.
Abiodun made the announcement during a caucus meeting of the party held in Abeokuta.
The governor said the decision followed consultations within the party leadership, adding that the endorsement was aimed at ensuring continuity and unity within the APC.
The daughter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo had subsequently suspended her aspiration in the wake of the arrangement.
In a statement on Thursday, Obasanjo said although she supported the adoption of the consensus option to reduce tension and strengthen party unity, aspects of its implementation in Ogun fell short of expectations.
“Throughout my consultations ahead of the Ogun state governorship primaries, I consistently advocated for consensus as a strategic pathway to reduce tension, prevent internal divisions, and position our party for electoral success in 2027,” she said.
The politician noted that she had remained committed to the process and accepted its outcome after Adeola was announced as the party’s consensus candidate for 2027.
“I immediately congratulated him and suspended all activities related to my gubernatorial aspiration, in line with my earlier pledge and my respect for party decisions,” she added.
However, the former aspirant said certain developments before and during the meeting undermined the spirit of inclusiveness expected of a consensus arrangement.
“On the day of the meeting, some of my supporters were denied entry and regrettably, two were physically assaulted by a party functionary,” she alleged.
“Such occurrences do not reflect the values of discipline, order and mutual respect that our party represents.”
Obasanjo also faulted the “failure to acknowledge” some aspirants at the meeting.
“Other candidates across the state, including myself and Mr Tunde Lemo, who were present in the hall, were not acknowledged, despite our extensive consultations and the strong grassroots momentum we generated across Ogun state,” she said.
While reaffirming her loyalty to the APC, Obasanjo said she would continue to support the party and its candidate, as well as the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“My loyalty to the APC remains unwavering. I am not defecting and I will continue to support the success of our party, including the candidacy of senator Adeola,” she said.
She urged party leaders to adopt a more inclusive approach going forward, noting that consensus must go beyond mere agreement to reflect fairness and recognition.
“True unity is not achieved by consensus alone, but through recognition, respect and collective engagement,” she said.
“Going forward, I respectfully urge our party leadership at all levels to embrace a more inclusive approach, one that acknowledges the contributions of all aspirants and carries everyone along.”
Obasanjo added that she and her supporters remain committed to contributing to the party’s success ahead of future electoral activities.
Her comment followed a recent pushback by Gbenga Daniel, senator representing Ogun east, who alleged that he was barred from attending the Ogun east APC caucus meeting on Monday in the Ijebu Ode area of the state.
Addressing his supporters from a white bus outside the venue, Daniel said decisions reached at the meeting would be invalid.
