Solomon Adeola, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election, and Iyabo Obasanjo, a former Ogun Central senator, have traded words over a claim that the former president’s daughter demanded a refund of her campaign expenses.
Speaking during a meeting with the council of Iyalajes and Babaalajes from Remoland at his constituency office in Ilaro on Saturday, Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, said he had met and engaged with Obasanjo as part of his consultations ahead of the governorship election.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the Senate, alleged that the former senator made some unreasonable demands during the engagement. Shortly after joining the APC in February 2026, Obasanjo declared her interest in the governorship race but later suspended her bid after the party adopted Adeola.
Adeola claimed that Obasanjo asked him to refund the money she had spent on the campaign, adding that the alleged demand shows that she is in politics for personal gain rather than service to the people.
“She (referring to Iyabo Obasanjo) said I reneged on promises. She said she joined the governorship race and failed and wanted me to refund her expenses that I should refund her dollars and naira. Did I ask her to join the governorship race?” he said
“You are asking me to refund you what you have expended on this electioneering campaign. First and foremost, I find it insulting. “Now you have left the party. You left the party not because the party wronged you. You left the party because you were offered money.
“You are not a party person. You just want to cash in, and you are being paid. You don’t mean well for Ogun state. They are there in their numbers looking for the purse of Ogun state.”
In June, the former senator resigned from the APC, citing persistent disrespect from the leadership of the party and alleged breach of agreements by Adeola.
She later joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and secured the party’s Ogun central senatorial ticket.
‘YAYI WAS THE ONE WHO CALLED’
However, speaking in an interview on AIT on Monday, Obasanjo said she withdrew from the governorship race the day Adeola was endorsed as the APC’s consensus candidate.
The former senator said she congratulated Adeola on his emergence as the governorship candidate.
She added that if she had wanted money from the senator, she would have remained in the race until the end of the governorship primary election.
Obasanjo said Adeola called her shortly afterwards and expressed interest in meeting with her and her supporters.
She said her supporters made three demands of Adeola, despite her insistence that she does not want anything from the senator.
“The next morning, he called me and said he wanted to come and see me and my followers. I told my followers,” she said.
“I told my followers. They said when he comes, they are going to ask for specific things. I said I’m not asking because I don’t need anything from him.
“He requested to meet me and my people. If I was going to ask him for money, I would be the one to request to meet him.
“When he came, my people made three demands. They said they wanted the senate for me. I told them I don’t want the senate.
“Second, they asked for the money I had spent on the campaign. Third, they wanted formal recognition if they would join his campaign.”
The former senator added that when Adeola personally asked her how much she wanted, she replied that whatever the senator can afford.
Obasanjo said after the meeting, Adeola promised to get back to her within a week.
She said more than six weeks later, the senator had not contacted her, noting that when some people called him on her behalf, she said they were told that he was busy.
