2027: PDP Unveils Deputy Governorship Candidate For Ogun

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has officially unveiled Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo as its deputy governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.

Naija News reports that Sowunmi-Kolapo, a former Group Business Editor of The PUNCH Newspapers, was unveiled on Monday as the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu.

The ceremony, held at the PDP secretariat in Abeokuta, attracted party leaders, stakeholders, youth groups, women organisations and supporters from across the state.

Also present at the event was Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Her presence came shortly after she announced her resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), further fuelling speculation that the former senator representing Ogun Central may have returned to her former party.

Speaking after her unveiling, Sowunmi-Kolapo thanked the leadership and members of the PDP for the confidence reposed in her.

She described her emergence as a call to greater service and sacrifice for the people of Ogun State.

The deputy governorship candidate pledged loyalty to the party and its governorship candidate, promising to bring her experience, commitment and passion for public service to the task of rebuilding the state.

Sowunmi-Kolapo said the PDP deputy governorship ticket represented a fresh opportunity to deliver people-oriented governance that would prioritise economic growth, youth empowerment, quality education, healthcare delivery and infrastructural development.

“Our mission is to restore hope to the people of Ogun State. We are committed to building a government that listens to the people, responds to their needs and ensures that no community is left behind in the development process,” she said.

She urged party members to remain united and committed to the collective goal of winning the 2027 election, stressing that grassroots mobilisation and voter engagement would be critical to the party’s success.

Adebutu, in his remarks, described Sowunmi-Kolapo as competent, experienced and dedicated.

He said her emergence as his running mate would strengthen the PDP’s chances in the forthcoming governorship election.

According to him, her selection followed extensive consultations among party stakeholders and reflected the party’s commitment to competence, inclusiveness and effective leadership.

He said the combination of experience, vision and grassroots appeal represented by the ticket offered the people of Ogun State a credible alternative capable of addressing the state’s socio-economic challenges.

Adebutu promised that a PDP administration would focus on job creation, industrial development, improved infrastructure and policies that would directly improve the welfare of residents.

‘PDP Will Form Next Government’

Speaking on the party’s past attempts to win the governorship seat, Adebutu said the PDP had remained consistent in its bid to take over the leadership of the state.

He said, “We have been doing this now for nearly ten years. This is the third time, if I count correctly. At the first attempt, we were stopped by the courts when the electoral laws were not so clear and people imposed themselves against the will of the party. If those laws had existed then as they do today, we would already have been candidates and would likely have won.

“Most recently, we contested again, and we sincerely believe we won. We sincerely believe we won. But to God be the glory: when the time is not right, everything does not fall into place. Today, however, I see that the time is right for us and it is the PDP that will form the next government of our dear state.”

Adebutu said the PDP was presenting a strong team for the 2027 election, adding that the party had avoided the internal weaknesses that had affected it in the past.

“We have forty candidates on this stage today, and for the first time, I can tell you that we do not have any weakness in the chain. All forty are steadfast and strong. It is a message to those who wish to study what we are doing: God’s time is the best,” he said.

Adebutu Attacks APC

The PDP governorship candidate said he searched for a running mate with competence, compassion, transparency and dedication before settling for Sowunmi-Kolapo.

He said, “I have also delved into the archives to find someone with acumen, that is dedicated, competent, transparent and compassionate and in that pursuit, I found Iya Sunna of Egbaland, an accomplished journalist of repute and entrepreneur of excellence.

“One important thing in this journey that we are in is that our deputy governorship candidate is so compassionate, these are the types of people we need, the people that care for the masses and care for their welfare. Ogun State as a whole has unanimously chosen her to be my running mate and together we shall deliver the people of Ogun State from the incompetent government of the APC come 2027.”

Earlier, the Ogun State Chairman of the PDP, Dr Abayomi Tella, said Sowunmi-Kolapo’s emergence demonstrated the party’s determination to present its best hands for the task of governing the state.

Tella urged members to close ranks and intensify mobilisation efforts across the 20 local government areas of Ogun State.

He expressed confidence that the PDP would emerge victorious through unity, hard work and sustained engagement with the electorate.

Party faithful at the event described Sowunmi-Kolapo’s emergence as a major boost to the PDP campaign, citing her experience, leadership qualities and longstanding contributions to grassroots development.

Sowunmi-Kolapo’s Media Career

Sowunmi-Kolapo is a media leader, businesswoman, author, public affairs strategist and consultant with over 26 years of experience in training, writing, editing and narrative management at the highest levels of Nigerian and international public life.

Her career cuts across editorial leadership, corporate communications, government advisory service, entrepreneurship and political service.

She is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of Right-Dev Limited, a strategic communications and media consultancy firm.

Through the firm, she has provided communications solutions to clients in the private sector, public sector and international community.

She is also the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Point Newspaper, a national tabloid that has operated for more than 11 years.

Her media interests also include Growth Trackers Initiative, a television production company with presence across 12 states, while she also serves as President of the Media Transformation and Empowerment Initiative.

Sowunmi-Kolapo served as Special Adviser on Corporate Communications and Strategy to Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and pioneer Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In that role, she was credited with helping to drive the rebranding and repositioning of the then Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry into the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

The transformation was seen as part of efforts to reflect a shift in Nigeria’s economic governance priorities.

In the newsroom, Sowunmi-Kolapo made history as the first female Group Business Editor of The PUNCH Newspapers.

She authored over 5,000 articles and mentored several business journalists through what was described as an incentive and accountability system that helped position The PUNCH Business Desk ahead of competition from 2010.

Her Monday backpage economic analyses, published between 2007 and 2011, gained attention among policymakers, investors and economic commentators.

She was also nominated for several journalism honours, including the Nigeria Media Merit Award, Diamond Awards for Media Excellence and Informed Readers’ Club Awards.

She remains an active voice in Nigerian economic journalism and currently writes the Monday Compass column in The PUNCH.

In June 2018, through former President Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigerian Movement, Sowunmi-Kolapo joined the African Democratic Congress, where she was elected its first female Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

Within three months, she was elevated to National Publicity Secretary, becoming the first woman to occupy the position in the party’s history.

She served in the role until October 2020, when she stepped down to focus on her media and business interests.

Sowunmi-Kolapo is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, a Fellow of the West African Society for Communications and Administration, and a Fellow of the Civilian Institute of Democratic Administration.