By Lizzy Chirkpi
Former Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has secured the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest for the Ogun Central Senatorial District seat, paving the way for a return to the Senate more than a decade after leaving the National Assembly.
The former lawmaker formally rejoined the PDP in Abeokuta on Wednesday, just weeks after resigning from the All Progressives Congress (APC), where she had sought the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during the ceremony, Obasanjo-Bello pledged unwavering loyalty to the PDP and promised to place the welfare of the people above personal and sectional interests.
“I shall prioritise the welfare of the people above personal and sectional interests,” she said after taking the party’s oath of allegiance. She also pledged to uphold the PDP’s constitution, manifesto and code of conduct with “integrity, humility and dedication.”
Presenting the party’s flag to the former senator, Ogun PDP Chairman, Abayomi Tella, described the gesture as the party’s official endorsement of her candidacy.
“On behalf of our National Chairman, I present this flag to our revered sister, Prof. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, as the authority of the party for her candidature for the Senate in Ogun Central,” Tella stated.
Also speaking at the event, Ladi Adebutu welcomed Obasanjo-Bello’s return to the PDP, describing her as a committed and selfless leader whose experience and political pedigree would bolster the party’s chances in Ogun State.
According to Adebutu, the former senator remains “a true daughter of the soil” whose contributions would strengthen the PDP’s efforts to reclaim political ground in the state.
Obasanjo-Bello represented the Ogun Central Senatorial District in the Senate from 2007 to 2011 on the PDP platform before losing her bid for a second term. Following years in academia abroad, she returned to active politics earlier this year and joined the APC, where she contested for the party’s governorship ticket. She later resigned from the party, citing alleged unfair treatment and a lack of respect for her aspirations.
Her return to the PDP and swift emergence as the party’s senatorial candidate is expected to reshape the political landscape in Ogun Central ahead of the 2027 general elections. The development is also seen as strengthening ties between her political camp and the PDP leadership in the state, setting the stage for what could become one of the most closely watched contests in Ogun politics.