Ogun 2027: Nobody Denied Ogun West Opportunity Of Producing Governor, But…. – Iyabo Obasanjo

ABEOKUTA – The first daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, has disclosed that there was never a time Ogun West Senatorial District was deprived opportunity of producing governor of the state.

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo’s position came on the heels of growing agitation that Ogun West was marginalized from producing governor since the creation of the state 50years ago.

Senator Obasanjo-Bello in a media engagement with journalists on Saturday in Abeokuta, emphasized that, Yewa/Awori cannot singlehandedly made themselves governor, saying that it has to be collective decision of the other two senatorial districts.

According to her, since 1999 his father, President Olusegun Obasanjo has prioritized Ogun West to produce a Governor, but ill-luck and internal disgruntlement within the power brokers in the region deprived them the opportunity of producing the state governor.

Senator Obasanjo-Bello reiterated how the Egbas have supported Ogun West in producing the state governor since 1999 from Senator Bajomo to General Adetunji Olurin in 2011, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka and Senator Akin Odunsi in 2015, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade (Triple A) in 2019, and GNI in 2023 but all failed in their pursuit.

She admitted that fairness dictates the Ogun West region should eventually produce a leader, but it has to be collectively agreed upon by the three senatorial districts.

However, she called for better strategy rather than mere complaints.

“Since we had political dispensation, we’ve had three governors from the East, Ogun Central has had two, and the West has not had any. I do agree that we need fair sharing of polical power. So, I think that in Ogun state, we must have somebody from the West at some point as governor. But at the same time, Central is not the region that stopped them.

“I was the person that actually campaigned with Olurin most at that time, he didn’t make it. My father himself wanted Senator Bajomo more to come out at some point. That was during 1999 it ended up being Martins Kuye, who didn’t win. Then my dad supported GNI tremendously in another election. Some of our ex-governors have done the same thing, Otunba Gbenga Daniel from the East and Senator Ibikunle Amosun from the Central. I think that we need to sit together and be more strategic about how we produce a governor from the West, but that coalition has not been formed, so, if we don’t do it that way, it will fall the way it has always fallen, because we’re doing it by default.”

The former senator, however, declared that Ogun State is uniquely positioned to make history by producing Nigeria’s first elected female governor.

​The former Commissioner for Health noted that the state’s high literacy rate and rich history of female leadership—referencing icons like Madam Tinubu, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and legendary Egba women warriors—make it the natural trailblazer for gender inclusion in governance.

​“Ogun State is going to be the first state to have a female governor elected,” she stated confidently.

“We’ve had female governors who stepped in for short periods due to various circumstances, but never one elected by the people. It is not strange to have women in leadership in this part of the world.”

Addressing concerns about her decade-long absence from the local political scene, the United States-based scholar argued that her international exposure is a strategic asset rather than a drawback.

She explained that living abroad allowed her to study the intricacies of how local, state, and federal tax systems drive development.

​“I see everything through the lens of development. Living abroad helps you understand how the government works at the grassroots level. You cannot copy everything exactly, but it gives you ideas on how things can work better in your own society,” she said.

​Obasanjo-Bello further emphasized that politics should not be viewed as a permanent profession, drawing a parallel with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, she noted that the President took a nearly 20-year hiatus from the elective office to run his businesses before returning to the fray.

​“Politics is not supposed to be a lifelong career like being an architect or a doctor. It is meant for people to come in from the population, serve, and go back to the people. That way, you don’t have to be in it just to survive,” she added.

Responding to allegations that she is disconnected from the grassroots, the former Senator dismissed the notion as a misconception.

She recalled her tenure as Commissioner and her senatorial campaign, during which she visited the most remote villages in Odeda and Obafemi Owode Local Government Areas.

​“The grassroots is where my strength is. I am not a ‘high-salutation’ person. During my campaigns, there was no remote village in Ogun Central that I did not visit. Those who know me know I am with the people,” she insisted.

​Unveiling her agenda for the state, Senator Obasanjo-Bello praised the current administration’s industrialization drive but promised to take it further by turning Ogun into the “Guangzhou of Nigeria.”

She said her plan centers on creating an industrial hub that leverages proximity to Lagos and the sea ports.

​“China started by taking factories from America to Guangzhou. Now China is bringing factories here. This is our opportunity. My focus will be jobs, jobs, and more jobs,” she declared.

​“I want an ICT hub where our youth can get global jobs. We used to be the cradle of education; we must now become the cradle of technology,” she said, adding that her administration would also prioritize value-added agriculture to ensure the state exports finished products rather than raw materials.

​The former Senator also identified tourism as an untapped goldmine for the state.

She highlighted the potential of the rail link between Lagos and Abeokuta to transform sites like Olumo Rock and the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) into major revenue earners.

​“Tourism provides jobs and brings in disposable income. We need high-class hotels and a seamless experience for visitors. We are moving in that direction, but we are not there yet,” she observed.