Former Ogun State governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Iyabo Obasanjo, has dismissed claims by the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, that she left the APC because she was denied financial support.
Adeola had alleged that Obasanjo defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he refused to refund her campaign expenses. He further claimed that she later sought financial assistance from the PDP governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu.
Responding in a statement, Obasanjo described the senator’s allegations as false, accusing him of lacking integrity and attempting to distort the facts surrounding her departure from the ruling party.
She questioned why Adeola allegedly tried to persuade her to remain in the APC and even offered her money after her resignation if, as he claimed, her request for reimbursement was inappropriate.
According to Obasanjo, members of her political team—not herself—presented three requests during their final meeting with the senator: support for a Senate seat, reimbursement of campaign expenses, and the inclusion of her supporters in his campaign structure.
She said Adeola neither granted any of the requests nor communicated his decision before she eventually left the party.
“My supporters asked the senator for three things: the Senate seat, a refund of what I spent during the campaign, and the inclusion of my people in his campaign,” she said.
“I told him I would relay whatever decision he made to them, but he fulfilled none of the requests and stopped communicating with me until after I had left the APC. I didn’t answer his calls, and he later offered me money.
“If requesting reimbursement was truly insulting, why did he offer me money to stop me from leaving the party? That shows he has no integrity, and his claims are untrue.”
Obasanjo added that the requests were made by Hon. Aroyeun, Chief Toyin Jokosenumi, and Hon. Biodun Ajayi, stressing that she personally made no demands and only expected Adeola to clearly communicate what he was willing to do.