Abuja: Mrs Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said she wants to become Ogun’s first elected female governor.
She said this while speaking with newsmen at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday.
Obasanjo-Bello, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said she was at the APC national secretariat to visit its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and to acquaint herself with its leadership.
The former Ogun Commissioner of Health and a former lawmaker said she joined the APC out of personal conviction, citing her belief in the party’s values and vision as her main motivation.
She explained that she was back to active politics after being away for a long time, because the people of Ogun asked for her return.
“I made an informed decision to choose APC, and the reason I chose the party is personal to me; it has nothing to do with my father, the former president.
“He will vote for me, I am sure, but other than that, he is not part of my movement; he is not anything other than he will vote in the state, and hopefully I will be his governor.
She announced, “As a card-carrying APC member, I have declared my intention to seek the party’s nomination as Ogun governorship candidate.
“I’m sure that not only will we succeed in getting the nomination, we’ll also succeed in governing Ogun in a way that will make APC even greater in that state and in the nation,”she said.
Obasanjo-Bello said she was already mobilising, adding that her works while in office and goodwill in the Senate were speaking for her.
She observed that the APC was introducing fundamental changes supporting women in politics, highlighting the Reserved Seats for Women Bill in the National Assembly.
“The APC’s push on the bill gives me confidence it will produce Nigeria’s first elected female governor.
“I believe this is the opportune moment for a woman to become a state governor and to break the glass ceiling.
“My hope is that, after achieving this, it will inspire more women to contest and succeed as governors.
“Not all the time, though, because we will not win just because we’re women, but we will win because we’re the best candidates and we are delivering service to the people, and that is my hope,” she said.
She said that if elected as the state’s first female governor, she would boost food security through agricultural investment, expand access to science and technology, improve healthcare delivery, develop infrastructure, and create new jobs.
