Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has reportedly enrolled as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, according to a former chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government.
The disclosure was made by Hon. Biodun Ajayi, a former chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government and a close associate of the Obasanjo family, who spoke with PUNCH Online on Wednesday.
“I can confirm to you that Prof Iyabo Obasanjo on Tuesday at Ibogun Ward 11 of Ifo Local Government, completed her online registration as member of our great party, the All Progressives Congress,” Ajayi told PUNCH Online.
A former member of the House of Representatives from the area, who asked not to be named, also corroborated the claim, describing Obasanjo’s registration at Ibogun as accurate.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the APC in Ogun State were unsuccessful. However, the party’s Director of Publicity, Mr Femi Nuberu, neither confirmed nor denied the development, noting instead that the ongoing membership registration exercise is open to all Nigerians aged 18 and above.
Obasanjo, an Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, has previously held political positions, including Commissioner for Health between 2003 and 2007 and Senator representing Ogun Central from 2007 to 2011.
Her political billboards appeared in parts of Abeokuta late last year, sparking speculation about a possible return to active politics ahead of the 2027 general elections. The billboards carried the message: “In Ogun State, we know ourselves. Sen (Prof) Iyabo Obasanjo. Omo wa ni, eniyan wa ni, ara wa ni.”
Political watchers had anticipated that Obasanjo might either rejoin her former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Last year, the Ogun State chairman of the ADC, Otunba Femi Soluade, said the party would welcome her should she express interest.
Analysts say her reported move to the APC could be seen as unexpected, especially given her father’s perceived distance from the ruling party, having supported Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.
A source close to the former senator, who requested anonymity, said the decision reflects her independent political outlook.
Obasanjo has previously addressed the appearance of campaign billboards bearing her name in Abeokuta, explaining that they were put up by supporters and did not amount to an active political campaign.
Speaking to Remo TV at the 70th birthday celebration of Chief Mrs. Gloria Shoda, former national president of the National Council of Women Societies, she said, “There are some people who have worked with me in the past. They came together and said, ‘This is who we like.’ I told them to stop it—that I am living a good life. I live in the US, I teach at the university, and I am fine.
“However, people told me to let them be, after all, they are not asking me for money. They said it was a sign of love and that I did well while in politics.
“They said stopping them would dampen their enthusiasm. So I have allowed them. Nobody can say I am actively campaigning for anything, but I have given these people the go-ahead.”
She added that the renewed calls for her return to politics are based on the belief that “if you do good, people will come back,” noting that any future political decision ultimately rests with God and her supporters.
Born on April 27, 1967, Obasanjo trained as a veterinary doctor at the University of Ibadan and previously served as Ogun State commissioner for health and senator for Ogun Central. Her bid for re-election in 2011 was unsuccessful, after which she returned to the United States.