The Ogun State 2027 governorship election is rapidly becoming a contest between two prominent figures: Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Oladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Both candidates have prior experience in the political arena, with Adebutu having contested the 2023 governorship election and Adeola currently serving as senator representing Ogun West. The election is no longer solely about which senatorial district should produce the next governor, but also about party structures, personal networks, zoning, and the contentious issue of indigeneship.
A new controversy has emerged, centered on Adeola's ancestry, with Adebutu and PDP chieftain Folake Marcus-Bello challenging Adeola's claim to being an indigene of Ogun State. Adeola has threatened legal action against those making the claim, while Adebutu asserts that he has evidence to support the allegation. This dispute has introduced an identity question into the election, which is already heavily influenced by Ogun's three political blocs: Ogun West/Yewa, Ogun Central/Egba, and Ogun East/Ijebu-Remo.
Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution outlines the qualifications for election as governor, which include being a Nigerian citizen by birth, at least 35 years old, a member of and sponsored by a political party, and possessing a School Certificate level or its equivalent. However, Section 318 defines "belong to" a state as a person whose parent or grandparent was a member of a community indigenous to that state. This distinction could become significant if the dispute reaches the courts.
Adeola's most obvious advantage is the platform of the governing APC, which has already settled on him as its governorship candidate. The party adopted him as its consensus candidate in April, and the process was affirmed through the party's primary exercise across the state's 20 local government areas. Governor Dapo Abiodun has publicly backed Adeola's candidacy and presented him to party stakeholders in Ogun West.
Adeola's opponents are questioning his ancestral connection to Ogun, while his camp rejects the allegation. The APC has wrapped Adeola's candidacy in the argument of political rotation, with Ogun West having never produced a governor since the creation of the state. Abiodun has described the decision to support an Ogun West candidate as an attempt to correct that longstanding imbalance.
Adebutu brings electoral experience to the contest, having come within 13,915 votes of defeating Abiodun in the 2023 governorship election. His 2027 ticket also has a statewide dimension, with Lateefah Sowunmi-Kolapo as his running mate. The PDP has begun moving its campaign machinery into the field, formally flagging off its governorship campaign in Abeokuta on September 10.
The APC starts with the advantage of incumbency, with its political machinery stretching from the state government. The party has also sought to broaden the ticket beyond Ogun West, with Adeola's running mate being Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, a chartered accountant from Ogun East. The election could become more complicated as Adeola's campaign has to fight on two fronts: defending the legitimacy of his Ogun roots while persuading voters outside Ogun West that his candidacy represents a statewide project.
Key points
- The Ogun State 2027 governorship election is a duel between APC's Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola and PDP's Oladipupo Adebutu.
- The election is no longer solely about which senatorial district should produce the next governor, but also about party structures, personal networks, zoning, and the contentious issue of indigeneship.
- Adeola and Adebutu have prior experience in the political arena, with Adeola currently serving as senator representing Ogun West and Adebutu having contested the 2023 governorship election.
