‘I didn’t know her before selection’ — Hamzat speaks on running mate, Sonayon-James

Lagos State Deputy Governor and APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that he had never met or spoken with his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before the party selected her.

Hamzat made the revelation on Thursday at the public presentation of _Who Is She?_ at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos.

He explained that the choice of his deputy followed consultations within the Lagos APC after President Bola Tinubu asked the state chapter to determine the candidate.

According to him, he advised that the running mate should be a young woman, a suggestion the President accepted.

“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 said.

The APC candidate said the party also considered the state’s zoning arrangement in arriving at the decision.

He noted that since he hails from Lagos East and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is from Lagos Central, the deputy governorship slot was expected to go to Lagos West.

Hamzat disclosed that he had no personal relationship with Sonayon-James before her emergence.

“Until Damilola was selected, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” he said.

He stressed that Sonayon-James, the Lagos APC Deputy Woman Leader and a native of Badagry, was chosen strictly on merit, citing her contributions to grassroots politics and community development.

“The important thing is that she’s been very active in the community. She’s been doing great things,” Hamzat added.

He also encouraged young women across the country to remain optimistic about their future, saying Nigeria still offers opportunities for those prepared to contribute meaningfully to public service.

Sonayon-James was recently unveiled as Hamzat’s running mate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election following what the APC described as extensive consultations and a rigorous selection process.