By Abiodun Lawal
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun has unveiled Dr Lateefat Kolapo-Sowunmi as the party’s deputy governorship candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial election in the state.
The state Party Chairman, Abayomi Tella, unveiled the candidate at an event held at the party secretariat in Abeokuta on Monday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tella said the nomination enjoyed broad support across party faithful.
“Aside from being nominated by Ogun Central people, as chairman of the party, I made further enquiries in Ogun East and discovered that what the people of Ogun Central has done was well accepted,” he said.
According to Tella, the party’s revitalisation effort is yielding positive results ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said PDP had regained strength in the state, attributing the development to the commitment of party leaders and members.
In his speech, the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun, Ladi Adebutu, said the party was stronger and better prepared for the general elections.
He recalled that the party’s first attempt at securing power was frustrated by legal challenges arising from unclear electoral laws.
According to him, the PDP would have won the election if the current electoral provisions had existed at the time.
He, however, noted that events unfold according to God’s timing while he expressed confidence that the right time had finally come.
Adebutu said the party now had 40 strong and committed candidates, describing the team as its strongest ever.
The PDP candidate described Ogun as a state blessed with distinguished personalities who had contributed significantly to national development.
He cited the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, the Kuti family, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun and Sen. Gbenga Daniel among notable figures.
Adebutu also highlighted the philanthropic contributions of Sir Kensington Adebutu and Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu.
According to him, their investments in education, healthcare and community development have positively impacted many residents.
He said he had personally invested resources across the 20 local government areas through donation of transformers and community projects.
Adebutu maintained that economic prosperity remained the most sustainable path to improving the welfare of citizens.
In her address, the deputy governorship candidate, expressed appreciation to party members for finding her worthy for the position.
Kolapo-Sowunmi said the inclusion of a female party member in the political movement has further strengthened the party’s prospects.
She said that the party remained focused on securing electoral victory through grassroots mobilisation and effective engagement with voters.
“Now is the time for action. We must return to the field and work diligently for victory,” she said.
NAN reports that Kolapo-Sowunm is a seasoned media leader, accomplished businesswoman, author, and distinguished public affairs strategist and consultant with over 26 years of experience in training, writing, editing, and shaping narratives at the highest levels of Nigerian and international public life.
Her career spans editorial leadership, corporate communications, government advisory service, entrepreneurship, and political service — a rare and formidable combination that positions her as one of Nigeria’s foremost voices at the intersection of media, business, and governance.
As she steps into public office, she brings to bear a depth of institutional knowledge, strategic insight, and cross-sector credibility that few in her generation can match.
As Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Group Managing Director of Right-Dev Limited, one of Nigeria’s most respected strategic communications and media consultancy firms, Kolapo-Sowunmi has built a track record of delivering high-impact, result-oriented communications solutions for major clients spanning the private sector, the public sector, and the international community.
She is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Point Newspaper, a national tabloid that has endured for over 11 years — a testament to her commercial tenacity and editorial conviction in one of Africa’s most competitive media markets.
Her media enterprise further extends to Growth Trackers Initiative, a television production company with an active presence across 12 states of the federation, and she serves as President, Media Transformation and Empowerment Initiative (MTEI).
Kolapo-Sowunmi served as Special Adviser on Corporate Communications and Strategy to Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and pioneer Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, CON, under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
In that capacity, she conceived and led the successful rebranding and repositioning of what was then the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry into the frontline Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment — a transformation that signalled a decisive shift in Nigeria’s economic governance priorities.
A trailblazer in the newsroom, Kolapo-Sowunmi made history as the first female Group Business Editor of The Punch Newspapers — Nigeria’s most widely circulated daily.
In that role, she authored over 5,000 articles, built and mentored a generation of award-winning business journalists through an effective incentive and accountability system, and consistently positioned the Punch Business Desk ahead of the competition from 2010.
Her incisive Monday backpage economic analyses, published from 2007 to 2011, became required reading among policymakers, investors, and economic commentators, earning her multiple nominations for the NMMA, DAME, and Informed Readers’ Club Awards.
She remains an active and respected voice in Nigerian economic journalism, currently authoring the Monday Compass column in Punch.
In June 2018, through former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigerian Movement, she 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 hold that position in the party’s history — a role she discharged with distinction until October 2020, when she stepped down to focus on her media and business interests.
She 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. NAN
