Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has returned to active politics after about 15 years, formally joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Her return was confirmed on Tuesday after she completed her APC membership registration in Ogun State, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The registration took place at Ibogun Ward 11 in Ifo Local Government Area. Confirming the development, Hon. Biodun Ajayi, a former chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government and a close political ally of the Obasanjo family, said Prof. Obasanjo successfully concluded both her physical and electronic registration during the party’s ongoing membership exercise.
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“I can confirm that Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo completed her online registration as a member of our great party, the APC, on Tuesday at Ibogun Ward 11 in Ifo Local Government,” Ajayi said. He added that the process was smooth and in line with party guidelines.
A local political source in the ward also confirmed the development, describing the reports of her registration as accurate. However, the Ogun State chapter of the APC declined to officially confirm or deny her membership.
When contacted, the party’s Director of Publicity in the state, Mr. Femi Nuberu, said the APC was focused on the successful conduct of its statewide registration exercise rather than individual registrants.
“We wish to clarify that the APC registration process is free, open and accessible to every Nigerian citizen aged 18 years and above, in line with our party’s constitution,” Nuberu said. “All registration activities are domiciled at the ward level, where designated officials are responsible for managing and authenticating the process.”
Speculation about Prof. Obasanjo’s return to partisan politics had intensified in late 2025 after campaign-style billboards bearing her name appeared across parts of Abeokuta. The billboards carried inscriptions in Yoruba and English, describing her as a daughter of the soil and calling for her return to public service.
Political observers initially believed she might rejoin her former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), before her eventual decision to join the APC.
Prof. Obasanjo, an Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, had previously downplayed the billboards, saying they were put up by supporters and did not reflect an active campaign on her part.
Speaking at public events in Ogun State, she said she had been living a quiet academic life in the United States but allowed her supporters to express their goodwill freely, stressing that she was not motivated by financial or political pressure.
Her decision to join the APC has surprised some analysts, given her father’s open support for opposition candidates in recent elections, including his backing of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in 2023.
However, a source close to the former senator said her move underscored her political independence.
“She has her own convictions and makes decisions based on her personal assessment of national and state interests, irrespective of her father’s political position,” the source said.
Iyabo Obasanjo previously served as senator representing Ogun Central and has remained influential in policy, public health advocacy and women’s development, even while away from active politics.
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