A former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Iyabo Obasanjo, has raised concerns over the process that produced the party’s consensus candidate for the 2027 election, alleging that some of her supporters were assaulted.

Her comments follow the endorsement of Solomon Adeola by Governor Dapo Abiodun as the APC’s preferred governorship candidate during a caucus meeting held in Abeokuta on April 13, 2026.

In a statement on Thursday, Obasanjo said she had supported the consensus arrangement as a means of promoting unity within the party but expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of its implementation.

“Throughout my consultations ahead of the Ogun state governorship primaries, I consistently advocated for consensus as a strategic pathway to reduce tension, prevent internal divisions, and position our party for electoral success in 2027,” she said.

She noted that she accepted the outcome of the process and suspended her ambition after Adeola’s emergence.

“I immediately congratulated him and suspended all activities related to my gubernatorial aspiration, in line with my earlier pledge and my respect for party decisions,” she added.

However, the former aspirant alleged that events surrounding the meeting undermined the inclusiveness expected of such an arrangement.

“On the day of the meeting, some of my supporters were denied entry and regrettably, two were physically assaulted by a party functionary,” she said.

“Such occurrences do not reflect the values of discipline, order and mutual respect that our party represents.”

Obasanjo also criticised what she described as a lack of recognition for some aspirants present at the meeting.

“Other candidates across the state, including myself and Mr Tunde Lemo, who were present in the hall, were not acknowledged, despite our extensive consultations and the strong grassroots momentum we generated across Ogun state,” she said.

Despite her reservations, she reaffirmed her loyalty to the APC and pledged support for both the party’s candidate and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“My loyalty to the APC remains unwavering. I am not defecting and I will continue to support the success of our party, including the candidacy of senator Adeola,” she said.

She urged party leaders to adopt a more inclusive approach in future processes, noting that “true unity is not achieved by consensus alone, but through recognition, respect and collective engagement.”

(Vanguard)

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