By Michael Adesanya/Abeokuta
Professor Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has disclosed some of her priorities if elected as the first female elected governor of Ogun State.
She revealed that she would prioritize education, health care and youth empowerment if elected come 2027.
The former Senator representing Ogun Central, who recently declared her ambition for the 2027 governorship race, made the clarifications during the weekend while speaking to journalists in Abeokuta, the State capital.
Obasanjo noted that she is fully prepared to govern the State and believes the state is ready to produce Nigeria’s first elected female governor.
She said her experience as former Commissioner for Health and lawmaker has equipped her with the competence and exposure required to lead the state effectively, insisting that she is the most prepared and qualified for the position.
Obasanjo stressed that the Ogun State, known for its high literacy level and progressive political culture, is well positioned to break new ground in women’s political leadership.
The governorship hopeful referenced the state’s rich history of strong female figures, including Madam Tinubu and the legendary Egba women warriors, noting that Ogun has always produced women who played key roles in shaping society.
According to her, producing the first elected female governor in Nigeria would be consistent with the state’s proud history.
She however stressed that her ambition is rooted in competence and preparedness not just gender, insisting that she did not enter the race to back out, stressing that she currently stands as the most qualified and prepared for the state’s top job.
Her words: “So, I’m coming out, using my effort and doing consultation all around the state, just so that I can then not compete. I don’t understand that, it’s not possible.
“I will compete with everybody in the field, and I will do everything within my power to get the party ticket. I’ll do consultations and everything necessary.
“When I campaigned for the Senate, I think there was no remote village in Ogun Central Senatorial District that I did not touch. If you go to those remote villages and ask who has been there before, I will be one of the few politicians they will mention.
“So when people say I’m not connected to the grassroots, I think the grassroots is actually where my strength is as a politician”.
Obasanjo, who is seeking the ticket of the All Progressives Congress, pledged to open up the State’s potential in culture, tourism and Adire production.
Iyabo Obasanjo also lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, describing it as a major boost to the stability of the nation’s economy.
She explained that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, apart from creating employment will deepened economic activities along the corridor, and further decongest the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Her words: “I think there’s a lot going on, positively. One is the stabilization of the Naira. What that does is that people can predict how much money they will spend on imports and how much income they will get. So stabilization of the Naira is a big one. I think that the economic stability cannot be overstated, because when people can predict income and exports, things get better, because then you are not buying something at one price due to dollar instability and having to sell it at a higher price when it changes.
“So, for economic stability, there has been progress and there has been some improvement in security, mainly because now we have a lot of collaboration going on. There is international collaboration, the President’s visits to different countries for trade, economic development is rising and that is the key to everything we do.
“It will also help to ease transportation on the Lagos-Ibadan corridor. Right now, to go north in Nigeria, to go east, you have to come through Ogun State on that road.
“Yes, it’s good that they go through, but if they’re going through and congesting that road, it’s also a problem, right? So that road will help us decongest Ogun State roads in ways that will actually help us with development”.
According to her, her government will build on the recent gains of industrialisation, the value chain in agriculture and tourism to strengthen the economy of the state.
Her words: “The current administration has made impressive moves with industrialisation, the number of factories we have, because with those factories come jobs, opportunity and taxation.
“But also, those resources can then be turned into products. So we are becoming the industrialisation hub of Nigeria. That was how China started. Factories were taken from America to China. So now China is bringing factories here. This is an opportunity for the state to become the Guangdong of Nigeria.
“Also important is agriculture. We need to do even more in that regard because we do have a lot of land and we are close to Lagos, which is a city where people need a lot of food. Since we all have to eat every day, let us do that.
“And also, we are close to the port. So if we produce food for export or industry for export, we are in a good position to send products across the world. So focusing on agriculture as we add value to agricultural products will be something for us to do”.
