Lagos State Deputy Governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that he had never met or spoken with his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before the party selected her as its deputy governorship candidate.
Hamzat made the disclosure during the public screening of Who Is She? held at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos.
He explained that Sonayon-James’ emergence followed consultations within the Lagos APC after President Bola Tinubu directed party leaders in the state to agree on a suitable deputy governorship candidate.
According to Hamzat, he proposed that the position should go to a young woman, a suggestion the president supported.
“The president called me and said, ‘You guys go and sort it out.’ I said, ‘Sir, I think it should be a female.’ He said, ‘It’s okay.’ I said, ‘It should be young.’ He said, ‘It’s okay,’” he said.
Hamzat added that the party also considered Lagos State’s zoning arrangement before settling on its choice.
He noted that as an indigene of Lagos East and with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu from Lagos Central, there had been expectations that the deputy governorship slot would be allocated to Lagos West.
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The APC candidate stressed that he had no prior relationship with Sonayon-James before her nomination.
“Until Damilola was chosen, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” he said.
He added that Sonayon-James, the deputy women leader of the Lagos APC from Badagry in Lagos West, was ultimately selected based on her competence and capacity to serve.