Former Nigerian senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello announced her shift from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasizing that the move was motivated by personal connections rather than political strategy. She expressed that during her over 15-year hiatus from active political participation, the members of the APC were the only ones who kept in touch with her. This absence from politics began after her loss in the 2011 Senate elections, after which she pursued higher education, including a leadership fellowship at Harvard and a PhD.