ABEOKUTA — The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has officially completed its executive template for the 2027 gubernatorial election. Governor Dapo Abiodun announced Mrs. Kudirat Abiodun Adegunwa-Balogun as the party’s consensus deputy governorship candidate.
The announcement, made on Sunday during an emergency APC Strategic Caucus meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, effectively settles months of intense speculation and lobbying within the state’s political circles. It follows the party’s adoption of the senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, as the consensus governorship candidate two months ago.
The Logic of Regional Equity
Addressing the party stalwarts, Governor Abiodun explained that the choice of Adegunwa-Balogun was the product of exhaustive, wide-reaching consultations across various political, cultural, and religious interests in the state. According to the governor, the party felt bound by a moral obligation to respect the geopolitical zones of the state to preserve structural equity.
“If the governorship ticket is coming from the Ogun West Senatorial District, we felt that for equity, fairness, and justice, the deputy governor must come from Ogun East,” Abiodun stated. “Consequently, we sat down, looked across the local governments in Ogun East, and consulted widely within that constituency. Today, it gives me great pleasure to present our choice, subject to the final ratification of this august body.”
Adegunwa-Balogun hails from Ososa town in the Odogbolu Local Government Area, a strategic enclave within the Ogun East Senatorial District. Beyond her geographical roots, the governor added that her selection addresses the critical governance indices of gender inclusion and religious tolerance, ensuring that the APC approaches the 2027 ballot with a deeply representative ticket.
Out of 17 Aspirants, One Emerges
In his acceptance and appreciation speech, the governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola, praised Governor Abiodun for his strategic leadership throughout the consultation process. Adeola revealed that the position of running mate had drawn immense interest from highly capable party members across the state.
“A total of 17 distinguished aspirants indicated interest in becoming the deputy governorship candidate,” Adeola disclosed. “Every single one of them was eminently qualified to represent our great state, but political realities dictate that only one individual can emerge at the end of the day. We are fully confident that Mrs. Adegunwa-Balogun carries the competence and alignment needed for the tasks ahead.”
Adegunwa-Balogun is the daughter of prominent industrialist, business mogul, and the Asiwaju of Ijebuland, Otunba Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, OFR. Her entry into the frontline political space brings an infusion of deep corporate credibility, grassroots respect, and substantial cultural capital to the APC campaign machinery.
