EXCLUSIVE: 2027: Obasanjo family splits along party lines as two sons support Yayi, Iyabo stands with Adebutu

… Iyabo’s power base clashes with the brothers’ support for Yayi

…PLATFORM TIMES investigation reveals conflicting political influence

Daud Olatunji

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s political family appears to have split ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, with two of his sons publicly aligning themselves with All Progressives Congress governorship hopeful, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, while his daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, is firmly in the Peoples Democratic Party camp.

The latest development emerged on Friday when Adeola announced that Dr Olugbenga Obasanjo and Mr Olujuwon Obasanjo visited him at his Abeokuta residence where they would support his governorship ambition.

In a statement shared on his social media, the senator expressed appreciation for the visit.

“I was honored to receive today at my residence in Abeokuta two great scions of our father and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. Dr. Olugbenga Obasanjo and Mr. Olujuwon Obasanjo visited me to commend my excellent performance in governance and to pledge their full support to my aspiration as the APC governorship candidate for Ogun 2027,” Adeola wrote.

The endorsement comes at a time when another member of the Obasanjo family, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, has pitched his tent with the PDP after splitting from the APC.

Iyabo, who represented Ogun Central in the Senate between 2003 and 2007, recently returned to active politics and was presented by the PDP as the senatorial candidate for Ogun Central ahead of the 2027 general elections.

His defection to the opposition party has been widely interpreted as a major political boost for the PDP, which is gearing up for another fierce contest with the ruling APC in Ogun State.

The latest approvals have fueled speculation that the Obasanjo family is now politically divided, with members supporting rival political camps in what is expected to be one of the state’s most closely watched electoral battles.

While Iyabo is expected to campaign alongside PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu and his brothers have openly supported Adeola’s APC governorship bid.

The ongoing political realignment has added another intriguing dimension to Ogun politics, where the influence of the Obasanjo name has remained significant for decades.

PLATFORM TIMES investigation, however, showed that among the three Obasanjo brothers now publicly identified with opposing political camps, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo remains the most politically accomplished in Ogun State, particularly Ogun Central Senatorial District.

Having represented Ogun Central in the Senate between 2003 and 2007, Iyabo enjoys a much stronger political profile and popular recognition than his brothers, Dr Olugbenga and Mr Olujuwon, who have largely remained outside the mainstream of Ogun politics.

While neither brother is known to have held elective office or played a prominent role in the state’s political landscape, political observers say bearing the Obasanjo name has inevitably drawn public attention to their support for Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola’s governorship ambition.

Former President Obasanjo has yet to publicly endorse any candidate for governor or political party ahead of the 2027 elections, maintaining the political ambiguity that has often characterized his interventions in electoral contests.

PLATFORM TIMES reports that as Adeola is trying to fly the APC flag and Adebutu prepares another shot at the governorship on the PDP platform, the emerging political divide within one of Nigeria’s most prominent families is expected to further increase interest in the race to succeed Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2027.

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