A former member of the Nigerian Senate, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, has formally confirmed her membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, marking a significant return to frontline politics after more than a decade.
Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, made the disclosure on Saturday during an interview with Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami on Eagle7 Sports Radio, 103.7FM.
She described the APC as her “natural home,” stressing that the decision followed extensive consultations and sustained pressure from supporters urging her to re-enter active politics.
According to the former lawmaker, her renewed political ambition was driven by a group of supporters who, over the past two years, had consistently encouraged her to return, insisting she remained the best candidate to represent their interests.
Obasanjo-Bello represented Ogun Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011, following her tenure as commissioner for health under former governor Gbenga Daniel. She lost her re-election bid in 2011 to Gbenga Obadara of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
She ruled out a return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which she last contested election, citing the party’s prolonged internal crises.
Obasanjo-Bello disclosed that she also explored the possibility of joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) but expressed doubts about the party’s preparedness for the political task ahead.
Notably, she revealed that those spearheading calls for her return are all APC members, a factor she said weighed heavily in her final decision.
“I feel comfortable with all the actors I know within the APC,” she said. “I feel more comfortable, actually, than with some of the actors I know in the PDP, and some of them are now in the ADC. I have an absolute 100 per cent feeling it’s my natural home.”
While the Ogun State APC leadership has yet to issue an official statement, the development effectively seals Obasanjo-Bello’s return to partisan politics after about 15 years away from the scene.
Her move comes amid early alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with growing speculation that she may seek the Ogun governorship.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that she recently participated in the APC e-registration exercise at Ibogun, Ward 11, in Ifo Local Government Area, formally completing her membership process.
After her 2011 election loss, she relocated to the United States, where she focused on academia and rose to the rank of professor, a chapter she now appears ready to close as she repositions herself within Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.