By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Abuja was jolted Monday as Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo formally stepped into the 2027 Ogun governorship race under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that “this is the time” for Nigeria to elect its first female governor.
Addressing journalists at the APC National Secretariat shortly after registering as a card-carrying member, the former Senator and Ex-Ogun State Commissioner for Health announced her intention to seek the party’s governorship ticket in Ogun State.
“I have put myself in the ring,” she said. “I am confident not only that we will secure the nomination, but that we will govern Ogun State in a way that strengthens APC in the state and the nation.”
In a pointed response to questions about her father’s role, Iyabo was emphatic: her decision to join APC was personal and independent.
“He is not part of my coming here today. It is my personal decision.
He is just another citizen who will vote,” she declared, dismissing insinuations that the former president influenced her political move.
She explained that after years away from partisan politics, having previously been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) she returned following sustained pressure from political associates and supporters in Ogun State, many of whom are now in APC.
“I did not join based on anyone’s directive. I joined because the people who stood by me and urged my return are here,” she said.
Nigeria has never elected a female governor since independence.
Iyabo says she is fully aware of that daunting history and ready to rewrite it.
“We cannot always judge the future by the past,” she declared.
Citing global examples, she referenced Rwanda’s dramatic rise in female political representation through reserved seats and expressed confidence that APC’s current push for greater female inclusion signals a turning point.
“The APC is doing fundamental things to help women in politics. If there is a time for a woman to emerge as governor, this is the time,” she said.
She argued that Ogun’s rich history of female activism invoking icons like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Madam Tinubu makes the state fertile ground for producing Nigeria’s first elected female governor.
In an emotional moment, Iyabo recounted a story from her tenure as Ogun State Commissioner for Health that she says defines her leadership style.
She narrated how, years ago, villagers brought newborn twin babies to her after their mother died during childbirth because the family could not afford hospital delivery fees.
The unemployed father had no means to care for them.
“I took those babies in,” she revealed.
She arranged for their care in a reputable motherless babies’ home, personally funded their upkeep, and later secured hospital employment for the father so he could reclaim and raise his children.
Today, the twins are adults in their twenties.
“That is just one story,” she said. “There are countless others.”
On policy, Iyabo listed transportation reform, science-driven education, agriculture, and industrial expansion as pillars of her proposed administration.
She applauded ongoing federal infrastructure projects and stressed the urgent need to decongest major highways linking Lagos through Ogun to other parts of the country.
“Our roads carry the burden of traffic from Lagos to the East and North. Infrastructure that eases that pressure will transform lives in Ogun,” she said.
She pledged to prioritise science, technology, and ICT education, arguing that innovation-driven learning is key to empowering the next generation.
“A PhD gave me choices. We must give our children the same power of choice,” she stated.
Addressing concerns about zoning particularly agitation for Ogun West (Yewa/Awori axis) to produce the next governor Iyabo acknowledged the political sensitivity.
Ogun State has three senatorial districts, but only two have produced civilian governors since 1999.
She described the demand for equity as legitimate but warned against fragmentation.
“If we don’t build a unified front, the chances will scatter again,” she cautioned.
While affirming fairness for Ogun West, she insisted that electability across all three districts West, Central, and East remains critical.
“We need a candidate who can win not only in their zone but across Ogun State,” she said confidently.
Dismissing suggestions that the race might be predetermined or micro-zoned, Iyabo declared she is entering the contest with full political awareness.
“I have run before. I have won once and lost once. I have been a Commissioner. I am not naive,” she said firmly.
She concluded with a pledge to run a grassroots-driven campaign, vowing that if elected, she would serve two terms and then step aside in line with what she called citizen politics.
“We should not have people staying in politics for 30 years,” she said. “Serve, leave, and let others serve.”
With her dramatic return, Ogun’s political chessboard has shifted and the battle for 2027 has begun in earnest.
