Professor Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, has officially declared her intention to contest the 2027 Governorship election in Ogun State under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This announcement marks her return to active politics after an absence of approximately 15 years.

Her declaration was made on Saturday during an interactive programme broadcast on 103.7FM Eagle7 Sports, a session anchored by Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami. Earlier reports by Daily Trust had indicated her return to the political scene and her decision to join the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sources confirmed that Professor Obasanjo, who previously represented the Ogun Central Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011, participated in the ongoing APC e-registration exercise. Her registration took place at Ibogun, Ward 11, in Ifo Local Government Area of the state, thereby solidifying her membership in the ruling party.

Explaining her decision to return to politics, Professor Obasanjo revealed that it was primarily driven by sustained pressure from a group of supporters. She stated, "A group of people who I did not bring together, I did not form them into a group, have been working, I think, for two years now. And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back.’"

Regarding her choice of party, the former Commissioner for Health explained that she could not return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where she last contested an election, due to "all kinds of turmoil" and internal crises within the party. She also considered the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as an option but noted that the coalition party was not yet fully organised, stating, "The ADC was another option, but they don’t have their ducks in a row yet; they’re still working on it."

Professor Obasanjo asserted that the APC felt like her "natural home," influenced by the fact that many of those who encouraged her return to politics are now within the party. She emphasized having made wide consultations before her decision, stating, "I don’t have any animosity towards any individual or any group within the APC. I feel comfortable with all the actors I know within the APC. I feel more comfortable, actually, than with some of the actors I know in the PDP, and some of them are now in the ADC. So I think it’s my natural home. I feel quite confident and happy to have made that decision. I have an absolute 100% feeling it’s my natural home."

When questioned about her specific political ambition upon her return, Professor Obasanjo unequivocally ruled out seeking a return to the Senate or serving as a Commissioner. She confirmed that her sole ambition for this political comeback is the Ogun State governorship seat. "The only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship. And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it," she affirmed.

Professor Iyabo Obasanjo has a notable public service and academic background. Born on April 27, 1967, she initially trained as a veterinarian. She served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007 before successfully contesting for the Senate, representing Ogun Central from 2007 to 2011. She lost her re-election bid in 2011 to Senator Gbenga Obadara of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Following her departure from elective politics, she relocated to the United States, where she pursued an academic career in public health, rising to the rank of professor. If elected as governor in 2027, she would succeed the incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun, who was re-elected in March 2023 and is currently serving his second term.