Introducing Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, The Billionaire Heiress Named Ogun APC Deputy Governorship Candidate For 2027 Election

On Sunday June 14, Mrs. Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, a heiress to Dr. Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, the billionaire founder of Ess-ay Holdings Limited dynasty, has been named the All Progressives Congress, APC deputy governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2027 election.

She will run on the same ticket as Solomon Adeola, the APC governorship candidate and incumbent Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun announced Adegunwa-Balogun’s selection on Sunday at an APC strategic caucus meeting in Abeokuta.

According to the governor, the decision followed consultations with party leaders across the state.

Background and career
Adegunwa-Balogun, 51, is the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director at Rite Foods Limited, a leading subsidiary of Ess-ay Holdings Limited.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Lagos and an MBA in Finance from Bayes Business School, London.

She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK.

She has also attended executive programmes at Harvard Business School and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

She has more than 30 years of experience in finance, corporate governance, manufacturing, and strategic leadership.

At Rite Foods Limited, she serves as CFO and Executive Director responsible for finance and information technology.

Since joining the company, she has been part of its financial and operational management as the business expanded from a sausage roll manufacturer in 2007 to a food and beverage company with multiple product lines.

Rite Foods and family business
Rite Foods Limited was established in 2007 as a subsidiary of Ess-ay Holdings Limited.

The company is headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos, with its main production facility in Ososa, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The company began with Rite Sausage Roll and later entered the beverage market in 2016 with Bigi Carbonated Soft Drinks.

Its portfolio now includes Bigi soft drinks, Bigi Table Water, Fearless Energy Drink, Sosa Fruit Drinks, and Rite and Bigi Sausages.

The company holds Halal and ISO 9001 certifications and distributes to multiple countries.

Day-to-day operations are led by Seleem Adegunwa, Kudirat’s brother, who serves as Managing Director.

The family patriarch, Dr. Adegunwa began his business career in 1963 with Ess-ay Holdings and built interests in manufacturing, investment holdings, and real estate.

He served on the boards of Nigerian banks for 12 years, including as Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc from 2007 to 2014.

He was conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR in 2006.

Political context
Ogun State is commercially significant to Rite Foods as the location of its Ososa manufacturing plant.

Governor Abiodun described Adegunwa-Balogun’s selection as reflecting the APC’s focus on inclusive development, economic growth, and prosperity for Ogun residents.

The party’s statement described her as an advocate for women’s empowerment, youth development, entrepreneurship, and institutional excellence.

The 2027 governorship election in Ogun State will take place in a state with a strong manufacturing base.

Rite Foods is one of the major employers in the state, and the Adegunwa family has longstanding business and community ties in Ijebu-Ode and surrounding areas.

Adegunwa-Balogun’s candidacy connects a prominent Nigerian consumer brand with the state’s political contest.

While business families in Nigeria often maintain relationships with political structures, direct candidacy by a senior executive of an active manufacturing company is less common.

The APC ticket of Solomon Adeola for governor and Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun for deputy governor will contest the 2027 Ogun State election alongside candidates from other political parties.