Iyabo Obasanjo Defects to PDP, Grabs Ogun Central Senate Ticket

​ABEOKUTA — In a dramatic twist that has reshaped the political landscape of Ogun State ahead of the 2027 general elections, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has officially defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

​The high-stakes move comes just days after the academic and veteran politician resigned her membership from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), following a fiercely contested gubernatorial primary where she failed to secure the party’s ticket.

​The PDP moved swiftly to capitalize on the fallout, instantly rolling out the red carpet for the daughter of former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo by handing her the automatic ticket to contest the Ogun Central Senatorial District seat.

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​The Official Handover

​The political realignment was formalized during an emergency stakeholder meeting in Abeokuta, where the PDP state leadership presented the party’s official flag to the returning senator.

​Presenting the flag, the Chairman of the PDP in Ogun State, Dr. Abayomi Tella, emphasized that the decision received full backing from the highest echelons of the party structure.

​“On behalf of our national chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, and the entire national working committee of the PDP, I, Abayomi Tella, PhD, the state chairman of the PDP, and on behalf of PDP Ogun central, present to our revered sister, Prof. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, this flag as the authority of the party for her candidature for the Senate in Ogun Central,” Tella declared.

​Obasanjo Pledges Loyalty and Integrity

​Accepting the ticket, Senator Obasanjo-Bello, who previously represented Ogun Central in the upper legislative chamber between 2007 and 2011, expressed gratitude to the PDP leadership for the swift reception and reaffirmation of her political value.

​She vowed to run an issue-based campaign focused entirely on grassroots development and transparent governance.

​“I commit myself to the ideals of the PDP,” she said. “I shall serve the people of Ogun State and Nigeria with integrity, humility and dedication, prioritising their welfare above personal and sectional interests.”

​Shifting Tides in Ogun State

​Insiders within the Ogun State political circle note that Iyabo’s sudden exit from the APC underlines deepening cracks within the ruling party’s state chapter following the recent primary elections. Her return to the PDP—the very platform under which she served as a state commissioner and later senator—is expected to heavily fortify the opposition’s push to reclaim the gateway state in 2027.

​With the Ogun Central ticket now firmly in her grasp, political analysts predict a highly volatile and competitive senatorial race, as the Obasanjo political machinery gears up to square off against her former allies in the APC.