PDP Reacts as Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello Allegedly Joins APC
The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday reacted to reports that Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area, a development that has renewed debate over her possible return to active politics ahead of 2027.
Obasanjo-Bello, a former PDP commissioner and senator, was reported to have completed her online registration at Ward 11, Ibogun, prompting responses from both major political parties in the state and stirring fresh political calculations over Ogun Central.
Responding to the reports, the PDP Ogun State Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, adopted a restrained tone, telling journalists, “We wish her well.”
Confirmation of the registration came from a close ally of Obasanjo-Bello, Biodun Ajayi, a commissioner in the State Universal Basic Education Board, who said, “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.”
A former member of the House of Representatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also corroborated the development, saying, “Yes, it is true, she did registration at Ibogun yesterday; I am aware of that.”
However, the APC leadership in the state stopped short of confirming her status. The party’s Director of Publicity in Ogun State, Femi Nuberu, said the focus of the party was on its ongoing membership registration exercise rather than on individual cases.
“Our primary focus at this time is the successful and inclusive conduct of this nationwide exercise, rather than on the individual status of any specific registrant.
All registration activities are domiciled at the ward level, and it is the responsibility of the designated ward registration officials to manage and authenticate the process for all new members within their jurisdiction,” he said.
Nuberu added that the party was witnessing a surge in new members across the state, which he linked to public approval of the APC administration at both state and federal levels.
The reported registration has taken many political observers by surprise, particularly against the backdrop of earlier speculation that Obasanjo-Bello might either return to the PDP or align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Last year, campaign-style billboards bearing her image appeared across Abeokuta with the inscription: “In Ogun State, we know ourselves. Sen (Prof) Iyabo Obasanjo. Omo wa ni, eniyan wa ni, ara wa ni.”
At the time, a prominent political source had suggested she could contest the Ogun Central senatorial seat on the platform of the ADC, noting her father’s support for the party during the 2019 elections.
The Ogun State Chairman of the ADC, Otunba Femi Soluade, had said,
“We have also heard the possibility of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo joining us, but she has not contacted the party. We are eagerly waiting for her. Once she reaches out, we will hold discussions and chart the way forward.”
A source close to Obasanjo-Bello described her reported move to the APC as a reflection of personal conviction rather than external influence, saying the decision “only has a lot to say that the former President’s daughter has her own independent mind, regardless of her father’s influence and what anybody may say or think.”
Obasanjo-Bello herself had earlier played down claims of an active political comeback. Speaking during the 70th birthday celebration of Chief Mrs. Gloria Shoda in Sagamu, she explained that although she had left politics, pressure from supporters had persisted.
“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. So I have allowed them. Nobody can say I am actively campaigning for anything, but I have given these people the go-ahead,” she said.
She added, “If we do good, people will come back and we still want you for something. Whether what they want now becomes reality is not in my hands but in their hands and God’s hand.”
Born on April 27, 1967, Obasanjo-Bello is a veterinary doctor trained at the University of Ibadan. She served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007 and represented Ogun Central in the Senate between 2007 and 2011 before losing her re-election bid and returning to the United States.
With her reported registration in the APC and the renewed visibility of her political support base, speculation has intensified that Obasanjo-Bello could be positioning herself for a senatorial contest in Ogun Central in the 2027 general elections.
