Iyabo Obasanjo has said she will do everything within her power to secure the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State.
Iyabo is the daughter of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who ruled from 1999 to 2007.
Iyabo insisted that she is not in the Ogun governorship election race to step down for another candidate.
She disclosed this during a media parley with journalists held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL)Abeokuta on Saturday.
According to her, Ogun State is uniquely positioned to make history by producing Nigeria’s first elected female governor in 2027.
She also dismissed claims that she’s disconnected from the grassroots, arguing that her strongest political strength remains in her deep connection with grassroots communities, recalling how she personally visited remote communities across the district while campaigning for the Senate.
Obasanjo said, “So, I’m coming out, using my effort and doing consultation all around the state, just so that I can then not compete. I don’t understand that, it’s not possible.
“I will compete with everybody in the field, and I will do everything within my power to get the party ticket. I’ll do consultations and everything necessary.
“When I campaigned for the Senate, I think there was no remote village in Ogun Central Senatorial District that I did not touch. If you go to those remote villages and ask who has been there before, I will be one of the few politicians they will mention.
“So when people say I’m not connected to the grassroots, I think the grassroots is actually where my strength is as a politician,” she said.
Responding to questions from newsmen on her long break and sudden return to politics,
she stated that being overseas gave her the chance to learn about how other cultures’ governance functions, especially how municipal governments and taxation systems operate.
Obasanjo clarified that because she had established a career before going into politics, she’s able to see public service largely as a chance to promote development rather than as a permanent job.
