Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, has revealed that he had never personally interacted with his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before she was selected as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.
Hamzat made the disclosure on Thursday during the public presentation of Who Is She? at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, while explaining the process that led to Sonayon-James’ emergence.
He said although he contributed to outlining the qualities the party wanted in a running mate, he did not know Sonayon-James personally before her nomination.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu left the choice of a running mate to party leaders after he proposed that the deputy governorship candidate should be a young woman.
“The President called me and said, you guys go and sort it out, and I’m quoting him. I said, sir, I think it should be a female. He said, it’s okay.
“It should be young. He said, it’s okay.”
Hamzat said the selection also took into account the need for political balance across Lagos.
“We now said, okay, but we must also make sure it’s not from the east, because I’m from the east. And then the current governor is from the central, so it cannot be from central. It must be from the west,” Hamzat said.
He added that despite eventually becoming his running mate, they had no prior relationship.
“But my point is that until Damilola was elected, I don’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” he said.
Hamzat, however, stressed that Sonayon-James’ track record of community service and grassroots engagement made her a suitable choice.
“But what is the important thing? The important thing is that she’s been very active in the community. She’s been doing great things.”
He also encouraged young women not to lose faith in Nigeria because of negative narratives, insisting that opportunities remain available for those willing to make meaningful contributions.
“So, our young ladies, you know, if you listen on television, you hear all sorts of negative things about this country. Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it.
“And, you know, I will also talk about some of the issues that have been raised.”
The Lagos APC had earlier announced Sonayon-James, the party’s Deputy Woman Leader, as Hamzat’s running mate for the 2027 governorship election.
According to the party, the Badagry-born politician emerged after extensive consultations and a rigorous selection process based on her competence, grassroots acceptance, party loyalty and leadership capacity.
State APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, said the Hamzat-Sonayon-James ticket combines experience, innovation and strong grassroots appeal.