Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that he had never met or spoken to his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before she was selected by the party.
Speaking at the public presentation of Who Is She? at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi on Thursday, as reported by Vanguard on Friday, July 17, 2026, Hamzat said Sonayon-James’ emergence resulted from the APC’s internal consultation process rather than any personal relationship.
He explained that President Bola Tinubu directed the Lagos APC leadership to decide on the deputy governorship candidate. During the discussions, Hamzat proposed that his running mate should be a young woman, a suggestion he said Tinubu approved.
“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.
He added that zoning was also a key consideration, noting that while he is from Lagos East and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is from Lagos Central, the deputy governorship position was allocated to Lagos West to maintain the party’s political balance.
