I didn’t know my running mate until she was selected  —  Obafemi Hamzat

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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 for the position.

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

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

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“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.

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The APC governorship candidate explained that the party also considered the state’s zo ning arrangement in arriving at its decision.

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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.

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Hamzat disclosed that he had no personal relationship with Sonayon-James before her emergence as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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