Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State and the All Progressives Congress candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial race, recently disclosed that he was unfamiliar with his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before the party finalized her selection.
The announcement occurred at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi during the premiere of the documentary titled Who Is She? Hamzat explained that the decision was reached through internal party consultations, initiated after President Bola Tinubu directed the Lagos APC branch to determine the candidate.
Hamzat noted that he recommended the appointment of a young female candidate, a suggestion that received the President’s endorsement. Following the President’s instruction to finalize the selection, the process moved forward with consideration for regional zoning. Since Hamzat is from Lagos East and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu represents Lagos Central, the party aimed to fill the slot with a representative from Lagos West.
The candidate emphasized that the partnership was not based on personal acquaintance. In his own words, he did not possess Sonayon-James’s contact information until the party made its choice. Ultimately, the decision to select Sonayon-James, the current deputy woman leader of the Lagos APC from Badagry, was based strictly on her personal qualifications and professional capabilities.
