Yayi, Iyabo Obasanjo Trade Blame Over Alleged Campaign Refund Demand

A fresh political row has erupted in Ogun State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, and former APC governorship aspirant, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, exchanged sharp accusations over an alleged demand for the refund of campaign expenses.

The disagreement follows claims by Adeola that Obasanjo left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he refused to reimburse money she allegedly spent during her governorship campaign.

Speaking during a meeting with the Council of Iyalajes and Babaalajes (market leaders) in Remoland at his senatorial office in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area, Adeola described the alleged request as “insulting”, arguing that it suggested her interest in contesting the governorship was driven by personal gain rather than a commitment to public service.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Kayode Odunaro, the senator said he had initially approached Obasanjo as part of efforts to unite the party because he believed she genuinely wanted to serve Ogun State.

However, he claimed her alleged request for reimbursement changed that perception.

“Their intention is driven by personal interest and not the interest of Ogun State. They don’t mean well for our dear state. They are looking for the state purse,” Adeola said.

He questioned why he should refund campaign expenses, insisting he never persuaded Obasanjo to join the governorship race.

According to him, her eventual defection to the PDP was motivated by financial interests rather than dissatisfaction with the APC.

Adeola further alleged that after failing to secure what she wanted from him and the ruling party, Obasanjo shifted her allegiance to the PDP and its governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, in pursuit of similar benefits.

The senator also dismissed the legal challenge against his emergence as the APC governorship candidate, alleging that it was orchestrated by political opponents.

He maintained that politicians who defected from the APC after May 10, 2026, were ineligible to contest the 2027 elections under existing legal provisions and court judgments.

Adeola also argued that the PDP’s internal leadership crisis had weakened the party’s legal standing ahead of the elections.

But Obasanjo strongly rejected the allegations, describing Adeola as “a liar” and accusing him of lacking integrity.

She questioned why he allegedly attempted to persuade her to remain in the APC by offering her money after she had left the party if he genuinely considered the request for campaign reimbursement offensive.

The former Ogun State Commissioner for Health explained that during their final meeting, members of her political team presented three requests to Adeola: support for a Senate seat, reimbursement of campaign expenses and the inclusion of her supporters in his political structure.

According to her, none of the requests was granted, nor did Adeola return to discuss them before she resigned from the APC.

“My supporters asked the senator for three things. The first is the Senate seat, the second is the refund of what I spent and the third is inclusion of my people in his campaign,” she said.

She maintained that the requests came from her supporters rather than herself, adding that she had only expected Adeola to indicate which, if any, he was willing to accommodate.

Obasanjo insisted that after she left the APC, Adeola repeatedly tried to contact her and even offered her money to remain in the party.

“If he thought it was insulting, why did he now offer money to me not to leave the party? He has no integrity and is a liar,” she said.

Obasanjo, a United States-based Associate Professor of Epidemiology, rejoined the APC in January after registering in Ward 11, Ibogun, Ifo Local Government Area, signalling her return to active politics.

She, however, resigned from the party in May, citing rejection, disrespect and maltreatment by its leadership before joining the PDP, where she emerged as the party’s Ogun Central Senatorial candidate for the 2027 election.

She has also criticised the APC’s consensus process that produced Adeola as its governorship candidate, arguing that she was neither consulted nor involved despite earlier agreeing to support any consensus arrangement reached by the party.

Obasanjo further alleged that some of her supporters were denied access to the venue where Adeola was unveiled and were intimidated by party officials.

The former Ogun State Commissioner for Health, who represented Ogun Central in the Senate between 2007 and 2011, had remained largely out of active politics after relocating to the United States following her unsuccessful re-election bid in 2011. Her political comeback became evident late last year when campaign billboards bearing her image appeared across Abeokuta, signalling a renewed interest in public office.