Obasanjo family at odds over Yayi's governorship bid in Ogun State

The family of former President Olusegun Obasanjo is split over the governorship ambition of Solomon Adeola, also known as Yayi. He is the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State. Two of Obasanjo's sons have publicly supported Yayi, while their sister has left the party due to his nomination.

On Friday, Mr Adeola shared that Olugbenga Obasanjo and Olujuwon Obasanjo visited him at his home in Abeokuta. They came to show their support for his 2027 governorship campaign.

“I was honoured to receive two great scions of our father and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, in my residence in Abeokuta earlier today.
“Dr Olugbenga Obasanjo and Mr Olujuwon Obasanjo visited me to commend my sterling performance in governance and to pledge their unalloyed support for my aspiration as the APC gubernatorial candidate for Ogun 2027. Much appreciation to the two brothers. Omo Ogun Iseya,” the senator posted on his verified Facebook page.

This endorsement comes just weeks after Mr Adeola was named the APC’s governorship candidate for the 2027 elections. He is seen as the likely successor to Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Yet, the support from the two Obasanjo brothers is in stark contrast to their sister, former Senator Iyabo Obasanjo. She had aimed for the APC governorship ticket but lost out when the party chose Mr Adeola as its consensus candidate before the primary.

After the primary, she publicly criticized the process that led to Mr Adeola's nomination. She claimed it went against the party’s rules and that she was overlooked, despite agreeing to a consensus process.

On June 8, she resigned from the APC, citing ongoing disrespect and unfair treatment from the party leaders. Shortly after, reports emerged that she planned to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where she began much of her political career.

The support from her brothers shows the differing political views within the Obasanjo family as the 2027 governorship election approaches.

Former President Obasanjo has not shown any public support for Mr Adeola’s governorship ambition. In fact, over the years, he has kept a distance from the APC and seldom backed candidates from the ruling party during elections.

Just the day before, Mr Obasanjo was in Kano, where he met with Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). This has sparked more political speculation ahead of the 2027 elections. Neither party has revealed what they discussed.

Although the former president’s sons have now expressed support for Mr Adeola, there is no sign they are speaking for their father. Mr Adeola currently represents Ogun West Senatorial District in the Senate. He previously served Lagos West in the Senate from 2015 to 2023 after being in the House of Representatives.