The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has accused former Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello of abandoning the party for financial reasons after allegedly demanding a refund of her campaign expenses.
Adeola made the allegation while addressing members of the Council of Iyalajes and Babaalajes, Remoland, during a meeting at his senatorial office in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area, according to a statement issued by his media office on Sunday.
The APC governorship candidate described Obasanjo-Bello’s alleged request for reimbursement of campaign expenses as “insulting,” insisting that it exposed what he called her true motive for joining the Ogun governorship race.
“Their intention is driven by personal interest and not the interest of Ogun State. They don’t mean well for our dear state. One of them said I offended her because I refused to refund her campaign expenses in dollars and naira. Did I ask her to join the governorship race?” Adeola said.
He explained that he had initially approached the former senator during consultations with party stakeholders because he considered her a respected daughter of Ogun State committed to the state’s development.
However, he said subsequent events convinced him that her political ambition was motivated by personal gain rather than public service.
“Asking me to refund what you spent on your electioneering campaign is insulting to me. You did not leave the APC because the party offended you. You left because you were offered money. You are not a party person, you simply want to cash in,” he said.
Adeola further alleged that after failing to secure what she wanted from him and the APC, Obasanjo-Bello aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, in pursuit of similar personal interests.
He added that her recent public comments had exposed what he described as political dishonesty, saying more details would be revealed at the appropriate time.
The senator also accused opposition politicians in Ogun State of seeking political power to gain access to public funds rather than to serve the people, insisting that their actions were driven by bitterness and self interest.
Speaking on the legal challenge against his emergence as the APC governorship candidate, Adeola expressed confidence that the case would fail, alleging that it was sponsored by political opponents.
He also argued that politicians who defected from the APC after May 10, 2026, were constitutionally ineligible to contest the forthcoming governorship election.
“Based on existing legal provisions and court judgments, politicians who defected to another political party after May 10, 2026, are not qualified to contest the forthcoming election. We know when these people left the APC. Anyone who crossed over after that date is only wasting his or her time,” he stated.
Adeola further questioned the legal standing of the PDP in Ogun State, claiming the opposition party remained divided by unresolved leadership disputes and litigation.
Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, joined the APC in March 2026 in pursuit of the party’s governorship ticket. She resigned from the party on May 31, 2026, citing alleged maltreatment and disrespect by the party leadership before defecting to the PDP, where she later secured the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket.
Earlier, the President of the Council of Iyalajes and Babaalajes in Remoland, Chief Mrs. Olufunke Oyelaja, reaffirmed the support of market leaders for Adeola’s governorship ambition, commending his record of constructing modern markets and empowering traders across Ogun State.
