Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria – Former Nigerian senator Iyabo Obasanjo has stepped up consultations ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State, meeting with women’s organisations and labour leaders in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State in south west Nigeria.
The meeting took place at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, a major civic centre founded by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Representatives of professional women’s associations, artisans and civil society groups attended the engagement.
Addressing participants, Obasanjo, who previously represented Ogun Central Senatorial District in Nigeria’s National Assembly, pledged to pursue credible, inclusive and continuity driven governance if elected governor in 2027. Okay News reports that her message focused strongly on policy consistency and institutional stability in a state preparing for another political transition.
She told the gathering that sustainable development requires governments to build on existing policies rather than abandon them when leadership changes. According to her, Ogun State’s progress in infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic development must be consolidated and expanded.
Obasanjo, who earlier served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health between 2003 and 2007 under former Governor Gbenga Daniel, said her ambition is rooted in a desire to protect existing gains while introducing reforms that prioritise women, young people and vulnerable residents.
She said, “I am really 0happy for the kind of leadership APC has both in the state and at the national level. The president has made APC a party of choice and Gov Dapo Abiodun has proven to be a good leader of APC in this state and I will make sure that APC ensures continuity in this state.
“Development demands continuity, institutional memory and a leadership that understands that governance is a relay, not a sprint.
“If entrusted with the mandate in 2027, my administration will be anchored on credibility, competence and compassion. We will not run a government of exclusion. Women will not merely be mobilisers during elections; they will be decision-makers at the highest levels of governance.”
Obasanjo said she intends to seek the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s ruling political party at the federal level.
She further promised to operate an open and accountable system of governance if elected. According to her, public budgets must translate into visible improvements in daily life.
“Leadership is about trust. My word to you is simple: transparency will not be negotiable. Budgets will not just be numbers on paper; they will translate into tangible improvements in schools, hospitals, roads and job opportunities. We will publish, we will explain, and we will be accountable,” she added.
She urged women’s groups to take an active role in strengthening democratic participation in Ogun State as preparations for the 2027 elections gather pace, encouraging peaceful engagement and issue based politics.
On economic development, Obasanjo pointed to the state’s growing industrial base and argued that this momentum should be sustained. Ogun State, which borders Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial hub, has attracted manufacturing investments in recent years due to its proximity to major markets and ports.
She said, “The current administration has made impressive moves with the industrialisation, the number of factories we have, because with that number of factories, it’s what comes with the jobs, opportunity, and taxation. But also, it’s that those resources can then be turned into things. So we are becoming the industrialisation hub of Nigeria.
“That was how China started; factories were taken from America to China. So now China is bringing factories here. This is an opportunity for the state to become the Guangdong of China, okay.
“Also important is agriculture; we need to do even more in that regard because we do have a lot of land, and we’re close to Lagos, which is a city where people need a lot of food. Since we all have to eat every day, let us do that.
“And also, we’re kind of close to the port. So if we do food for export or industry for export, we are at a good place to send products across the world. So focussing on agriculture as we add value to the agricultural products will be something for us to do.”
Obasanjo is the first child of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. She recently returned to Nigeria after about 15 years in the United States, where she worked as a professor and epidemiology specialist. She previously served in the Nigerian Senate from 2007 until May 2011, representing Ogun Central.
In the 2011 general election, she contested for re election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but lost to Senator Gbenga Obadara, who was then a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria. Following that defeat, she relocated to the United States before re entering active politics in Nigeria.
With political activities gradually intensifying ahead of 2027, her outreach to women and labour leaders signals an early effort to build alliances in a state that remains strategically important in Nigeria’s south west political landscape.
