“If Anything Happens to Me…” Iyabo Obasanjo Puts UN, US Embassy on Notice

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo has raised the alarm over what she described as renewed threats to her life following the disruption of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign gathering in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Monday.

Obasanjo, the PDP candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District in the forthcoming National Assembly election, said she was putting the United Nations, the United States Embassy in Nigeria and the international community on notice over what she described as a looming threat to her safety and concerns about the integrity of the January 2027 elections.

The former senator made the remarks in an interview with Splash FM on Monday while reacting to the violent disruption of a PDP campaign gathering at Ward 16, Trailer Park, in the Soyooye area of Abeokuta North Local Government Area.

OBA̠SANJO DESCRIBES ATTACK, SAYS MEN CARRIED CUTLASSES

According to Obasanjo, she had seen videos circulating online showing men, some wearing masks and allegedly carrying cutlasses, dismantling campaign canopies and attacking people at the venue shortly before her arrival.

She said the incident had heightened her concern about her personal safety and the security of political activities in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.

Obasanjo warned that unless what she described as growing political violence was stopped, she and her political associates would seek the attention of the international community.

Her allegations concerning the attackers and their motives had not been independently established as of the time of filing this report.

“IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME…”Obasanjo said the latest incident reminded her of an earlier attack during the 2003 election period.

“This is not the first time they are making attempts at my life,” she alleged. She recalled the 2003 incident in which gunmen attacked a vehicle belonging to her convoy after she had changed vehicles shortly before the shooting. “I say it aloud now. If anything happens to me, the whole world should know those who are behind it,” she declared.

Contemporary reports from April 2003 confirm that gunmen attacked a convoy associated with Iyabo Obasanjo and that she escaped unharmed, while five people travelling in the other vehicle were killed. Contemporary accounts identified those killed as her bodyguard, driver, an uncle and two children of a friend.

The attackers were not identified in those reports.

The historical incident gives context to Obasanjo’s decision to publicly raise her security concerns following Monday’s campaign disruption, although it does not by itself establish any connection between the 2003 attack and the latest incident.

PDP CAMPAIGN GATHERING DISRUPTED IN SOYOYOE

Monday’s incident occurred as PDP supporters gathered at Ward 16, Trailer Park, in the Soyooye area of Abeokuta North Local Government Area ahead of the arrival of PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, and Obasanjo.

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Witness accounts cited in reports from the scene said a group of armed men invaded the venue before the politicians arrived. The men were reported to have carried cutlasses, axes and other dangerous weapons, while campaign materials and furniture at the venue were damaged.

Some people were also said to have sustained injuries. The incident reportedly forced the campaign team to temporarily hold back from the venue as tension mounted.

Adebutu and Obasanjo later arrived at the campaign ground, where they met supporters who had gathered for the event and saw evidence of the disturbance, including damaged chairs and tables.

SECURITY AGENCIES CONTACTED

Following the incident, the politicians and their supporters contacted security authorities, including the Ogun State Police Command and the Department of State Services (DSS).

A detachment of policemen and DSS operatives subsequently arrived at the scene. Initial accounts circulating online also alleged that some PDP supporters were attacked and robbed of mobile phones and other valuables.

However, the identity and political affiliation of those responsible for the incident had not been independently established as of press time.

Reports circulating from the scene have contained allegations linking the attackers to political actors, but such claims remain unverified.

ValidViewNetwork is therefore not attributing responsibility for the attack to any political party, candidate or individual without independent confirmation.

POLICE YET TO CONFIRM CIRCUMSTANCES

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Seyi Babaseyi, when contacted on Monday, could not immediately confirm the circumstances surrounding the incident.

He requested that inquiries be sent to him by text message. No response had been received as of press time.

The absence of immediate police confirmation means that details concerning the number of attackers, weapons used, injuries sustained, extent of property damage and the identity of those responsible remain subject to further investigation.

OBASANJO QUESTIONS CONTINUED INTEREST IN HER POLITICAL MOVES

In her subsequent interview with Splash FM, Obasanjo also linked the latest incident to what she described as a wider pattern of hostility towards her.

She questioned what she described as continuing interest by some of her former political associates in her decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) and join the PDP.

“They showed clearly they do not want me in APC. They treated me like scum and I left their party for them and got into a party that openly embraced me,” she said. “So, why are they still concerned about me when I resigned from their party and the internal affairs details of my own party, PDP?”

Obasanjo’s comments were made against the backdrop of the political realignment surrounding the forthcoming elections in Ogun State.

SAFETY AND ELECTION INTEGRITY

The senator’s allegations have added another dimension to Monday’s campaign disruption, particularly because the incident occurred during preparations for the January 2027 National Assembly election.

She called for heightened attention to the safety of political actors and supporters, while warning that continued violence could affect the atmosphere in which the forthcoming elections are conducted.

The incident also raises broader questions about the safety of campaign gatherings as political parties intensify their grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.

For now, however, the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the identities, affiliations and motives of those responsible, remain matters for investigation.

WHAT REMAINS UNESTABLISHED

While videos and eyewitness accounts circulating online have provided images of the disruption and damage at the venue, they do not independently establish who organised the attack or who the alleged attackers were acting for.

Similarly, Obasanjo’s claim that the incident represents a renewed threat to her life is her own allegation and has not been independently established.

The Ogun State Police Command had not, as of press time, publicly confirmed the identities of the attackers or attributed the incident to any political organisation. ValidViewNetwork will continue to follow developments as security authorities investigate the incident.