‘NO SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT DISQUALIFIED IYABO OBASANJO’ — CAMPAIGN REJECTS VIRAL CLAIM, WARNS AGAINST FAKE NEWS

ABEOKUTA — The political camp of former Ogun Central Senator, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, has dismissed as false a social-media report alleging that a Supreme Court judgment had disqualified her from contesting the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election.

The rebuttal followed the circulation of a report captioned “Supreme Court Judgment: Iyabo Obasanjo Stands Disqualified from Ogun Central Race?”, which claimed that a judicial decision had rendered the former lawmaker ineligible to contest the senatorial election.

In a statement issued in response, her camp described the publication as “false, fake and a figment of the imagination of its sponsors,” insisting that no Supreme Court judgment disqualifying Obasanjo from the Ogun Central race had been brought forward.

The statement challenged those circulating the allegation to produce the alleged judgment, suit number and other particulars that would establish the existence of the purported case.

‘SHOW US THE JUDGMENT’

According to the rebuttal, there is no known disqualification judgment against Obasanjo from the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal or Federal High Court.

The statement further argued that a genuine Supreme Court decision affecting the eligibility of a major senatorial candidate would ordinarily be traceable through official court records and established legal reporting channels.

It therefore urged journalists, political stakeholders and members of the public to verify the authenticity of any purported court document before publishing or sharing it.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of Obasanjo's renewed political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obasanjo, who previously represented Ogun Central in the Senate between 2007 and 2011, returned to active partisan politics in 2026. She initially joined the All Progressives Congress and pursued the Ogun State governorship ticket before leaving the party. She subsequently returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and was unveiled as the party's Ogun Central senatorial candidate.

In August 2026, Obasanjo also publicly explained her decision to return to the Senate, saying her objective was to contribute to the development and representation of Ogun Central after her previous tenure.

CAMPAIGN: ‘SHE REMAINS IN THE RACE’

The statement maintained that Obasanjo remains focused on her political campaign and is not distracted by what it described as misinformation circulating online.

Her supporters accused unnamed political opponents of attempting to create confusion around her candidacy, alleging that the purported Supreme Court story was part of a wider effort to damage her reputation.

Those allegations, however, remain claims by her political camp and were not independently established in the sources reviewed.

The statement appealed to residents of Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro, Ifo, Obafemi-Owode and Odeda Local Government Areas to disregard the purported judgment unless and until an authentic court record is produced.

It also urged media organisations to exercise greater caution when reporting legal and electoral matters, particularly information originating from anonymous social-media accounts and blogs.

CALL FOR VERIFICATION

The controversy highlights the increasing importance of verification as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.

Rather than relying solely on screenshots or documents circulated online, journalists and members of the public are being urged to establish the authenticity of alleged court judgments by checking official judicial records and credible legal reporting sources.

The statement also warned against the circulation of documents falsely presented as judgments of the Supreme Court, stressing that allegations involving forged or misrepresented judicial documents should be treated seriously.

For now, the central dispute remains whether any authentic judicial decision exists that affects Obasanjo's eligibility to contest the Ogun Central senatorial seat. Her political camp says no such Supreme Court judgment exists and insists that she remains a candidate for the race.

Obasanjo's emergence as the PDP's Ogun Central candidate has already placed her at the centre of the emerging political contest in the district.

The development is expected to keep the Ogun Central senatorial contest in the spotlight as political parties and their candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 elections.