The first child of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Sen Iyabo Obasanjo has resigned from the ruling party citing maltreatment and lack of respect from the leadership of the party.
Obasanjo's resignation was contained in a letter dated May 31 written to the state chairman of the APC, Chief Yemi Sanusi, a copy of which was made available to our Correspondent.
The US based Associate Professor of Epidemiology particularly faulted the consensus arrangement that produced the Senator representing Ogun West as the party's governorship candidate for the state saying that it fell short of the party's spelt out rules and guidelines.
Obasanjo who was the senator representing Ogun Central between 2007 to 2011stated that she had although told the party leadership from outset that she would abide by the party's consensus arrangement but the party leadership against the laid down rules did not consult her before announcing Sen Adeola fondly called Yayi as the party's consensus governorship candidate.
She alleged that even her supporters were violently manhandled and were not even allowed to enter the venue where the consensus governorship candidate of Adeola was announced.
Prof Obasanjo added that she had stomach this irregularities and in the spirit of respecting party decision issued a statement on the night that Yayi was picked as the party's consensus governorship candidate congratulating him and pledged to support his gubernatorial race.
She revealed further that Sen Adeola called her on the second day to appreciate her magnanimity and promised to personally come to visit her which she said he did two weeks after.
The epidemiologist said that during the visit her supporters had made three requests on which she had even told the senator was not compulsory but that he should let them know if he would be able to attend to the requests.
Prof Obasanjo said that the Senator promised to get back within one week but over two months after there had been no response from the lawmaker.
The former Commissioner regrettably said that with the maltreatment and cold rejection she had suffered since joining the party, she is left with no choice than to quit the party.
The senator lauded President Bola Tinubu for his support as well as the favourable disposition of the state party chairman, Chief Sanusi and that of the Ogun Central senatorial leadership led by Chief Soremi while her stint with the ruling party lasted
The statement partly reads "When I started the journey to get the party’s nomination for Governor, I came to see you and I said to you and everyone both privately and publicly that I will honor the party’s consensus decision once it has been made.
"When that day came even as violence was perpetrated against my supporters to stop them from entering the venue, I maintained my
calmness.
"At the venue, with no prior meeting with me as a candidate, given what the national party says in its guidelines on what consensus should be, ie having meetings where all candidates agree to the candidate that will be announced, a candidate was announced.
"No one acknowledged my presence at the meeting given that I was the most prominent opposition to the candidate chosen and I had traversed the state mobilizing and
encouraging grassroot APC support.
"Based on my conviction that party unity is important, I wrote my letter accepting the party’s consensus candidate that night even with the flawed process. The consensus
candidate called me the next morning and asked for a meeting with me and my followers,
and we had that meeting about 2 weeks later.
"At that meeting my people made 3 requests which I said were not compulsory but he should let me know so I would let my people
know his responses and he said I should give him a week.
"Unless he gets back to me after
I send this letter he has not reached out to me after 2 monthThis is just part of the general treatment I have received from APC of disrespect and rejection as if I was not there making contributions that increased support for the party in
Ogun Central and across the state.
"A famous person once said that when disrespect is the
only dish served, then one should leave the table. I am therefore leaving the APC table
where I am not welcomed. This is my resignation from the party.
"Through you, I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for receiving me warmly as usual, and I thank you and our Ogun Central Senatorial Chairman, Chief Soremi, as both of you treated me well and I will always remember that.Best Regards".
The daughter of the former President had this year January signalled her returns to active politics when she registered as a member of the APC from Ward 11, Ibogun in Ifo Local Government area of the state.
Prof Obasanjo, a former Commissioner for Health between 2003 to 2007 and senator representing Ogun Central between 2007 to 2011 had relocated to the US in 2011 after losing her bid to return to the Senate.
She had stayed outside of politics until late last year when her billboards were mounted across Abeokuta, the state capital with the inscription "“In Ogun State, we know ourselves. Sen (Prof) Iyabo Obasanjo. Omo wa ni, eniyan wa ni, ara wa ni.”
The billboards had set the tongues wagging until this year January when she registered with the APC and her subsequent declaration to contest for the governorship seat of the state.
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