Toyyibat Qasim
Former senator and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Iyabo Obasanjo, has urged Nigerians to assess political candidates based on their performance, track records and commitment to public service rather than party affiliations alone.
Obasanjo made the call during a television interview with TVC, where she explained her return to active politics after a 14-to-15-year break spent pursuing an academic career.
The professor of epidemiology also spoke about her decision to return to the PDP, her previous political engagements and her ambition to represent Ogun Central in the Senate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
She maintained that voters should focus on the capacity of individual candidates to improve their lives, arguing that a politician’s commitment to public service should remain central to electoral choices.
During the interview, Obasanjo declined to openly endorse a preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 election, explaining that taking a position on the presidential contest could create confusion among voters assessing her senatorial ambition.
Her response highlighted the distinction between the presidential and senatorial elections, with the former senator directing attention to her bid to return to the National Assembly.
She suggested that her candidacy should be assessed on its own merits, including her previous record in public office and her commitment to addressing the needs of her constituents.
Explaining the circumstances surrounding her return to elective politics, Obasanjo said her decision followed an appeal by about 30 community members who approached her and encouraged her to return to public service.
According to her, the individuals were not members of her family but people who independently believed she could make further contributions to society through political representation.
She said their sincerity and accounts of how her previous interventions had positively affected their lives made a strong impression on her and prompted her to reconsider her decision to remain outside active politics.
The former senator said the encounter reinforced her belief that her previous work had made a lasting impact on some members of the public, who wanted her to resume the responsibility of representing them.
Her account, she explained, formed part of the motivation behind her decision to seek another mandate in Ogun Central after years away from elective office.
On what she intended to do differently if elected to the Senate, Obasanjo said her approach to public service remained anchored in the same values that had guided her previous political engagements and academic career.
She explained that her longstanding priority had been to help people improve their circumstances, achieve their potential and contribute meaningfully to society.
According to her, this commitment informed both her work in public office and her activities in academia.
Obasanjo cited her previous interventions in the health sector, including the management of grants and hospital renovation projects, as examples of efforts aimed at delivering practical benefits to communities.
She maintained that her return to politics was not about abandoning her previous approach for a new political identity but continuing what she described as a longstanding commitment to improving people’s lives.
The former senator presented her experience in public service as part of the basis on which voters should assess her renewed ambition to represent Ogun Central.
Obasanjo also explained the political developments that preceded her return to the PDP, recalling that she joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) when she sought the governorship ticket in Ogun State.
