The Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has declared support for the governorship ambition of former senator, Iyabo Obasanjo, calling for greater inclusion of women in the political leadership of the state.

The monarch made the remark on Saturday after hosting Iyabo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, at his palace during what he described as a private visit.

Akinyemi said Ogun State has a rich record of producing accomplished women and should not hesitate to give them the opportunity to lead.

“Whatever affects Ogun State affects Nigeria. If you look at the great women we have produced – the likes of Efunsetan Anniwura and Efunyela Tinubu – and even in contemporary times, you will see that Ogun is blessed with exceptional women,” he said.

He also cited the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Mosunmola Dipeolu, among other distinguished women, describing them as symbols of excellence and pride.

The royal father praised Obasanjo’s professional and political career, recalling her tenure as Commissioner for Health and later as a Senator of the Federal Republic.

He also commended her philanthropic work through the Iyaniwura Foundation, which he said contributed significantly to human capacity development across the state.

“The activities of the Iyaniwura Foundation are still fresh in our memory. She built human capacity across the state. She is a medical doctor and a philanthropist. These are things that make us proud,” he said.

Akinyemi urged men to reconsider what he described as the limited political space historically available to women.

“If somebody like her is willing to take the shot, we men should have a rethink and give women more room than we have been giving them. They will not see us as chauvinists,” he added.

Drawing comparisons with other democracies, the monarch noted that women occupy top political offices in several Western countries.

“Tell me, is there any position in the West that women cannot occupy? Some prime ministers are women. If Kamala Harris had defeated Donald Trump, the United States would have produced its first female president. We cannot ask women not to contest. It is a good development,” he said.

He stressed that Obasanjo’s governorship ambition is her constitutional right as a Nigerian citizen.

“We are traditional rulers; only God knows tomorrow. We cannot deny the fact that she has every right to be governor. It is her civil right,” he said.

The monarch, however, clarified that the visit was not for a formal endorsement.

“She did not come for royal blessing. It was a private visit. At the appropriate time, she knows the appropriate place to go,” he added.

He also called for political cooperation among Ogun’s senatorial districts, noting that aspirants from Ogun West have been engaging stakeholders in Ogun Central and other zones.

“We have to work together. Those contesting in Ogun West have been visiting people in Ogun Central. It is vice versa,” he said.

Obasanjo was accompanied on the visit by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Abiodun Ajayi, and Engr. Chief Oluwatoyin Jokosenumi, the Bada of Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta.

Daily Trust had earlier reported how Iyabo Obasanjo returned to active politics after about 15 years and declared her intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State under the platform of the ruling APC. (Weekend Trust)

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