Supporters drawn from all 20 local government areas in the state packed the venue, chanting Obasanjo’s name and celebrating her appearance as she walked toward the podium. The atmosphere was festive as party faithful hailed her formal entry into the PDP.
Quick facts
- Obasanjo was formally accepted into the PDP at a public ceremony.
- She said she will work closely with PDP leadership to secure victory in upcoming elections.
- She previously sought the APC governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
- Obasanjo criticised the APC consensus process that produced Senator Olamilekan Adeola.
- She said she is running for the Ogun Central senatorial seat on the PDP platform.
- PDP governorship candidate Hon. Ladi Adebutu praised her move and pledged to improve governance if elected.
- Ogun State PDP Chairman Abayomi Tella presented Obasanjo with a PDP membership card and insignia.
During her formal acceptance into the PDP, Obasanjo pledged loyalty to the party and promised to collaborate closely with its leadership. She framed her move as a commitment to the party’s prospects and to winning the elections ahead.
Obasanjo, a former senator, said she had contested for the APC governorship ticket before the 2027 election. She then voiced dissatisfaction with how the APC arrived at its consensus nominee, alleging that she and other aspirants were pushed aside in the emergence of Senator Olamilekan Adeola.
She explained that her exit from the APC was not motivated by personal ambition. In her account, the decision was driven by what she described as a deficit of fairness and inclusiveness inside the ruling party.
Obasanjo said she would have accepted any consensus arrangement if it had been handled in line with the party’s constitution and if all aspirants were genuinely brought into the process. She argued that the approach taken fell short of those expectations.
Speaking on why she joined the APC initially, Obasanjo said that when she returned to active politics she chose the party after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu treated her with respect and dignity. She described the relationship as recognition of her standing, saying it was never about money but about honour and regard, and she added that in Yorubaland prestige is often valued more than financial incentives.
She also said she was not pushed into the APC by anyone, insisting that it was her “people” who urged her to come back into politics. Obasanjo said supporters told her that Ogun State no longer resembled the one she left and urged her to return to help drive development, noting that their confidence was rooted in her earlier work as a senator and as a commissioner in Ogun State.
Obasanjo said that as part of the consultation phase, she and other aspirants toured Ogun West and Ogun East and had planned to move to Ogun Central. She said the next step changed when the party leadership called for a meeting unexpectedly.
She argued that the APC constitution requires all aspirants to hold consultations before a consensus candidate is declared. Yet, she said that by the time the group arrived at the meeting, a consensus candidate had already been announced.
Obasanjo claimed she was told that two aspirants from Ogun West had been persuaded to step down in support of the consensus candidate. She said that moment made her conclude that something was not right with the process.
She further contended that the outcome could not be described as true consensus because aspirants from Ogun Central and Ogun East were not included in the discussions. In her view, excluding those regions undermined the legitimacy of the APC’s decision-making.
Campaign positions and party messaging
Obasanjo said she intends to contest the Ogun Central senatorial seat on the PDP platform. She also asserted that she and the PDP’s governorship candidate are true indigenes of Ogun State, and she criticised the APC for, in her words, “flagging” a Lagos indigene as its standard-bearer.
She said both herself and Hon. Ladi Adebutu come from families with a history of service, describing their fathers as people who dedicated their lives to empowering others, creating opportunities, and supporting many individuals across Ogun State.
In remarks at the event, Adebutu said Obasanjo’s defection represented a major boost for the PDP. He expressed confidence that the PDP would win the next governorship election, and he told supporters that a future PDP administration would address shortcomings of the current APC-led government.
Adebutu also pledged to restore what he described as good governance to the state. He added that his administration would grant full autonomy to local governments, saying grassroots development is essential to the progress of Ogun State.
Earlier, Ogun State PDP Chairman Abayomi Tella formally presented the party’s membership card and insignia to Obasanjo. The items were handed over as a symbol of her official admission into the PDP.
