Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has expressed confidence in her chances ahead of the 2027 governorship race in Ogun State, declaring herself a candidate to beat.
Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television on Friday, the former senator said she expects the support of her parents, including her father, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“I know my father and my mother will vote for me; that’s all that I can ask of them. Even if I don’t ask, they will vote for me; that I can guarantee,” she said.
The 59-year-old politician, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 elections, described her move as a personal political journey.
Obasanjo-Bello also expressed strong confidence in her credentials, saying her track record makes her a formidable contender.
“I feel I am a formidable person to beat because of my track record. I have the same buy-in from the system that all the men have, but I believe I am a better candidate and more formidable than they are, and I am going to win,” she said.
The former lawmaker represented Ogun Central in the Senate between 2007 and 2011. She also served as Commissioner for Health in Ogun State during the administration of former governor Gbenga Daniel.
On her prospects within the APC, Obasanjo-Bello said the party had provided a level playing field for aspirants seeking the governorship ticket.
Responding to questions about possible backing from the state leadership or Governor Dapo Abiodun, she said no aspirant had been officially endorsed.
“The party has given a level playing field. I don’t see any nod given to any candidate that is different from the nod I got, which is that everyone should go out and campaign,” she said.
She acknowledged that she must first secure the APC ticket through the party’s primaries before contesting the 2027 election, when Abiodun is expected to complete his constitutionally permitted second term.
Obasanjo-Bello confirmed that she formally joined the APC after participating in the party’s e-registration exercise in Ibogun, Ward 11, in Ifo Local Government Area.
According to her, supporters had urged her for about two years to return to politics, a move that influenced her decision to re-enter the political arena. She ruled out returning to the PDP due to internal crises and said she also considered the African Democratic Congress before eventually settling for the APC, which she described as her “natural home.”
After losing her Senate re-election bid in 2011 to Gbenga Obadara, who contested under the Action Congress of Nigeria, she relocated to the United States, where she continued her academic career and later became a professor.
The APC has held the governorship of Ogun State for about 15 years through two successive administrations. Before Abiodun, Ibikunle Amosun served two terms between 2011 and 2019, while the state was earlier governed by the PDP under Daniel from 2003 to 2011.
Despite growing calls for greater female representation in politics, no woman has ever been elected governor of Ogun State. However, women have served as deputy governors, including the incumbent Noimot Salako-Oyedele and Yetunde Onanuga, who served between 2015 and 2019.
Another aspirant who has declared interest in the APC governorship race is Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, a veteran journalist and former Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Governor Abiodun.
