Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has expressed strong confidence about her chances in the 2027 governorship contest in Ogun State, stating that her political experience and track record make her a candidate to beat.
Obasanjo-Bello made the statement during an appearance on The Morning Brief on Channels Television on Friday, where she discussed her return to active politics, her governorship ambition, and the support she expects from her family.
The 59-year-old politician, who recently moved from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 elections, said she believes she will receive the votes of her parents, including her father, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“I am almost 60; I think that at this age, my friends who still have both parents alive are very few, so I consider myself lucky to have both my mother and my father alive.
“I don’t think at this age I should be consulting them for everything in my career move. What I have said is that my father, I know, and my mother will vote for me; that’s all that I can ask of them. Even if I don’t ask, they will vote for me; that I can guarantee,” she said.
The former senator added that her decision to join the APC was a personal choice.
“So, my joining the APC is a personal journey for me; that is just the fact. But I know he will vote for me.”
Obasanjo-Bello also voiced strong belief in her ability to emerge victorious in the election, stressing that her record in public service gives her an advantage over other aspirants.
“I feel I am a formidable person to beat because of my track record, and so I am going to go for it.
“I have the same buy-in from the system that all the men have, but I just think that I am a better candidate and more formidable than them, and I am going to win,” the senator said.
Her declaration follows her return to frontline politics roughly 15 years after she served as senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District between 2007 and 2011.
Speaking about the race for the APC governorship ticket, Obasanjo-Bello explained that the party has so far maintained fairness among all aspirants seeking the nomination.
When asked whether she had secured support from the state leadership or the current governor, Dapo Abiodun, she insisted that no candidate has been officially endorsed.
“The party has given a level playing field. It’s two months; it’s close, but also the party is not going to say, ‘it’s you; you’ve gotten it.’ I don’t see any nod that has been given to any candidate that is different from the nod I got, which is that you go electioneering like everybody else, and we’ll see.”
“To say that somehow I have been guaranteed the ticket? No. I don’t think anybody in the state has guaranteed anybody else the ticket and has not guaranteed me the ticket,” she said.
She noted that her years of political engagement and connections with communities across Ogun State would play a role in boosting her chances in the race.
However, Obasanjo-Bello acknowledged that her first hurdle would be winning the APC governorship primary before contesting the main election in 2027, when Governor Abiodun is expected to complete his constitutionally allowed second term.
Confirming her formal entry into the APC, Obasanjo-Bello said she registered with the party during its ongoing e-registration exercise in Ibogun, Ward 11, in Ifo Local Government Area.
According to her, persistent calls from supporters over the past two years encouraged her to return to politics.
She explained that she ruled out returning to the PDP because of internal disputes within the party. She also considered the African Democratic Congress but said she was uncertain about the party’s readiness ahead of the next elections.
After consultations with political allies and supporters, she said she eventually chose the APC, describing it as her “natural home” and noting that she feels comfortable among members of the party.
Obasanjo-Bello previously served as Commissioner for Health in Ogun State under the administration of former governor Gbenga Daniel before winning election to the Senate in 2007.
Her attempt to secure a second term in 2011 was unsuccessful after she lost to Gbenga Obadara, who contested under the Action Congress of Nigeria.
Following the defeat, she relocated to the United States where she continued her academic career and later became a professor.
Politically, the APC currently dominates the landscape in Ogun State, having controlled the governorship for about 15 years through successive administrations.
Before Abiodun’s leadership, Ibikunle Amosun served two terms as governor between 2011 and 2019, while the PDP held power earlier under Gbenga Daniel from 2003 to 2011.
Despite increasing advocacy for women’s participation in leadership, no woman has been elected governor of Ogun State.
However, women have previously served as deputy governors in the state, including the current deputy governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele and Yetunde Onanuga, who held the office between 2015 and 2019.
Another female aspirant seeking the APC ticket for the 2027 governorship election is Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, a veteran journalist and former Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Governor Abiodun.
What you should know
Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, is returning to active politics after more than a decade away from elected office.
Her decision to join the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 Ogun governorship election signals a renewed ambition to play a leading role in the state’s political future.
If successful, she would become the first woman elected governor of Ogun State. However, she must first secure the APC ticket in a competitive primary contest before the general election.
