OLAYINKA OLUKOYA examines the leading deputy governorship candidates in the Ogun governorship race, highlighting the factors working in their favour, the challenges they must overcome, the opportunities and threats that could shape their electoral prospects and what they individually bring to the respective tickets.

The build-up to the 2027 general elections has started in earnest, as political parties are rounding up the submission of names of their governorship candidates and their running mates with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Aside from the major governorship contenders, the choice of the running mates is equally important in determining the extent or how far their influence can go in ensuring victory for their political parties.

Many political parties in today’s political system of Nigeria choose their deputy governorship candidates based on gender, religion, professional competence and majorly to balance geographical balance.

All the criteria mentioned above determined how far each political parties would go in the elections. In Ogun State, the choice of deputies of each political party is key because of the voting pattern at elections in the state. The interest of the three senatorial districts in the state remained critical to the voting pattern in the election.

As of today, only the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have unveiled their running mates. Other political parties, probably due to matters arising from the conduct of the party primaries are yet to announce their running mates.

For the APC, Mrs Kudirat Abiodun Balogun, daughter of a foremost industrialist and a prominent personality in the state was picked as the running mate to Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola in the…