Yayi Blasts Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello Over ‘Insulting’ Demand for Campaign Refund, Says She Left APC for Money …Says former senator’s defection to PDP exposes ‘political dishonesty’

ABEOKUTA – The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), has launched a scathing attack on former Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, describing her alleged demand for a refund of campaign expenses as “insulting” and a clear expose of her financial rather than service-driven motive for joining the governorship race.

Speaking while hosting members of the Council of Iyalajes and Babaalajes (Market Leaders) in Remoland at his senatorial office in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area, Adeola said Obasanjo-Bello’s recent claim that she left the APC because he failed to reimburse her campaign expenses proved that her interest was never about the progress of Ogun State.

“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 queried.

The APC flagbearer explained that he had approached Obasanjo-Bello during consultations with party stakeholders because he regarded her as a respected daughter of Ogun State who genuinely desired the state’s progress — only to later realise that her interest was not centred on 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 declared.

Adeola further alleged that after failing to get what she wanted from him and the APC, the former senator aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, in pursuit of similar personal benefits. He insisted that recent public comments by Obasanjo-Bello had already exposed what he termed her political dishonesty, adding that the time would come to reveal more details about the matter.

The senator also accused opposition figures in the state of pursuing political power for access to the state’s treasury rather than genuine development, maintaining that their activities were motivated by bitterness and personal interests instead of a commitment to improving the lives of Ogun residents.

On the legal challenge to his emergence as the APC governorship candidate, Adeola expressed confidence that the case would not succeed, alleging that the suit was sponsored by political opponents.

He further argued that politicians who defected from the APC after May 10, 2026, were constitutionally barred from contesting 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.

The senator also questioned the legal standing of the PDP in Ogun State, claiming the party remained divided by unresolved internal litigation and leadership disputes.

Obasanjo-Bello, a daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had joined the APC in March 2026 to pursue her governorship ambition. She resigned from the party on May 31, 2026, citing alleged maltreatment and disrespect from the party leadership, and subsequently defected to the PDP, where she secured the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket.

Earlier, 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.