The Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has revealed that he had never met or spoken with his running mate, Princess Damilola Sonayon-James, before she emerged as the party’s deputy governorship candidate, disclosing that he obtained her phone number from another person after her selection.
Hamzat made the disclosure on Thursday during the public presentation of the book Who Is She? at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos. Recounting the process that led to the emergence of Sonayon-James, he explained that although he participated in discussions on the qualities the party desired in a running mate, he had no prior personal relationship with her.
According to Hamzat, President Bola Tinubu advised party leaders to resolve the choice of a running mate among themselves after suggesting that the deputy governorship candidate should be a woman and a young person. He added that party stakeholders also considered regional balance, agreeing that the running mate should come from Lagos West, since he is from Lagos East while Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is from Lagos Central.
“But my point is that until Damilola was elected, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” Hamzat said, stressing that what mattered most was not personal familiarity but her proven track record, competence and commitment to grassroots development. He maintained that merit and capacity were the major considerations in her emergence.
Hamzat’s remarks provide fresh insight into the APC’s internal selection process ahead of the 2027 Lagos governorship election. Sonayon-James, a development professional and the party’s Deputy State Woman Leader, was officially unveiled as his running mate after extensive consultations among party leaders and stakeholders across the state.
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