By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
United States – based Professor Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has declared that she is better qualified to become the first elected female governor in Nigeria.
The former Senator for Ogun Central who recently declared her ambition to contest the 2027 governorship seat, added that the state’s high literacy level and rich history of female leadership— apparently referencing icons like Madam Tinubu and legendary Egba women warriors—make Ogun the likely natural trailblazer to produce elected female Governor soon.
She made this known on Saturday while speaking with newsmen at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the state capital.
The ex – Senator said, “This is one of the most educated states, one of the states with a, I would say, more significant level of development, is going to be able to have a female governor before many other states.
“I think, because, and then we also have a history of female leadership in our area. We have Madam Tinubu who was an example, and we have women leaders in our history. We have women warriors.
“I think, for our own, it’s not strange for women leadership in this part of the world. So I think Ogun state is probably, it’s going to, not probably, it’s going to be the first state to have a female governor elected, because we’ve had female governors, as you know, that for different reasons became governor for short periods of time, but we’ve never had an elected female governor in the country.”
The ex – Commissioner for Health in the state between 2003 and 2007, who subscribes to the principles of fairness and equity in politics, expressed concern that the Ogun West Senatorial District of the state has not yet produced a Governor, but said it was not the making of the Ogun Central.
She recalled that prominent sons and daughters from the Central, including her father and herself, had at one time or the other worked strenuously towards the emergence a Governor from the West extraction, lamenting that such efforts were not successful.
The governorship hopeful, however, shared in the general sentiment that unless the East and Central zones of the state, yielded space, it may be difficult for the West to produce a Governor in 2027 or any
She also lamented that there is no agreement or consensus yet between the East and Central to concede ground for the West to produce a Governor soon.
“Since we have the political dispensation, right, we’ve had three governors from the East, right? Central has had two, and West has not had any.
“So, fair is fair. So I think that, you know, we must have somebody from the West at some point as governor, but at the same time, the Central is not the person that stopped them. Myself, I was the person that actually campaigned with Olurin(General Tunji Olurin) most at that time. He didn’t make it.
“My father himself wanted Senator Felix Bajomo to come out at some point. Then my dad was supporting Gboyega Nasir Isiaka tremendously in another election. Some of our ex-senators have done the same thing.
“I think that we need to sit together and be more strategic about how we produce the government from the West. I think that, yes, what my father said in terms of central and east, have to come together and then leave it for the West.”
