Senator Iyabo Obasanjo has raised the alarm over alleged renewed threats to her life following the disruption of a Peoples Democratic Party campaign gathering in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Monday.
Obasanjo, the PDP candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District in the January 2027 National Assembly election, said she had put the United Nations, United States Embassy in Nigeria and the international community on notice over what she described as a growing threat to her safety and the integrity of the forthcoming election.
She spoke in an interview on Monday while reacting to the reported attack at Ward 16, Trailer Park, Soyooye area of Abeokuta North Local Government Area.
According to her, videos circulating online showed several men, some allegedly masked and carrying cutlasses, dismantling campaign canopies and attacking people shortly before her arrival at the venue.
Obasanjo warned that unless the alleged violence was checked, she and other members of her political camp would draw the attention of the international community to developments in Ogun State.
“This is not the first time they are making attempts at my life,” she alleged, recalling an incident during the 2003 election when she said gunmen opened fire on a vehicle in her convoy after allegedly believing that she was inside it.
She claimed that all the occupants of the vehicle were killed in the incident.
“I say it aloud now. If anything happens to me, the whole world should know those who are behind it,” she said.
The latest alarm followed the reported disruption of the PDP campaign programme in Soyooye.
Witnesses said more than 10 men allegedly invaded the venue shortly before the arrival of the PDP governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, and Obasanjo.
The men were reportedly armed with cutlasses, axes and other dangerous weapons.
The development was said to have forced members of the campaign team to delay their movement into the area as tension mounted.
Adebutu and Obasanjo eventually arrived at the venue, where they met party supporters and reportedly saw damaged chairs, tables and other evidence of the disturbance.
Some people were also reportedly injured during the incident.
The politicians subsequently contacted security authorities, including the Ogun State Police Command and the Department of State Services, after which policemen and DSS operatives were deployed to the scene.
There were also allegations that some supporters were attacked and dispossessed of their mobile phones and other valuables, while campaign materials were damaged.
However, the identities of the alleged attackers and their political affiliation had not been independently established as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Seyi Babaseyi, did not immediately confirm the circumstances surrounding the incident.
No response had been received as of press time.
Speaking further, Obasanjo linked Monday’s incident to what she described as a broader pattern of threats against her.
