Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has revealed that he had never met or spoken with his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before she was selected by the party.
Hamzat made the surprising disclosure during the public presentation of “Who Is She?” held at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, offering fresh insight into how the APC arrived at its deputy governorship choice ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to him, the selection process followed consultations within the Lagos APC after President Bola Tinubu asked the state leadership to resolve the issue and present a suitable candidate.
Hamzat explained that during discussions with the President, he proposed that the deputy governorship slot should be given to a young female politician, a suggestion he said Tinubu immediately endorsed.
“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,'” Hamzat recalled.
The APC governorship candidate also noted that zoning considerations played an important role in the final decision. He explained that since he is from Lagos East and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu hails from Lagos Central, many party members believed the deputy governorship position should naturally go to Lagos West.
Despite eventually becoming his running mate, Hamzat disclosed that he had no prior relationship with Sonayon-James.
“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, who serves as the Lagos APC Deputy Woman Leader and is from Badagry in Lagos West, was selected based on her competence and leadership qualities rather than personal connections.
The revelation has sparked conversations about the APC’s candidate selection process as political parties continue preparations for what is expected to be a fiercely contested 2027 governorship election in Lagos State.
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