Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State and the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 election, disclosed that he had never met Princess Damilola Sonayon James or had her contact information until she was named as his running mate.
Hamzat made this announcement during the launch of “Who Is She?” at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he described the thorough process of consultations and decision-making that led to the selection of the politician from Badagry as the APC’s deputy governorship candidate.
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He mentioned that while he played a role in defining the qualities sought in a running mate, he had no prior personal connection to Sonayon James.
Reflecting on the selection process, Hamzat shared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu instructed party leaders to collaborate on the decision after he proposed that the deputy candidate should be a woman and relatively young.
“The President told me, ‘You all go and sort it out.’ I suggested, ‘Sir, I think it should be a female,’ and he agreed,” Hamzat recounted.
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He also indicated that the party took into account the political balance within the state during the selection.
“We agreed that the candidate shouldn’t be from the East since I’m from there, and the current governor is from the Central, so it needed to come from the West,” he explained.
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Hamzat emphasized that, although Sonayon James ultimately became his running mate, he did not have her contact information prior to her nomination.
“I didn’t know her phone number until she was chosen. I got it from someone else,” he revealed.
He underscored that what set her apart was not their personal connections, but her impressive record of service, grassroots involvement, and dedication to community development.
“What matters is her active participation in the community and her significant contributions,” Hamzat stated.
The APC gubernatorial candidate also encouraged young women to remain hopeful about Nigeria’s future, urging them not to let negative portrayals deter them.
“Our young women hear a lot of negativity about this country on TV. Don’t buy into it. There are still opportunities for those ready to make positive contributions,” he advised.
Princess Damilola Sonayon James, a Badagry native and current APC Deputy Woman Leader in Lagos State, was recently introduced as Hamzat’s running mate for the 2027 election.
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The Lagos APC highlighted that her selection followed extensive discussions and a meticulous evaluation of her competence, acceptance within the grassroots, loyalty to the party, and leadership qualities.
State APC Chairman Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi praised Sonayon James as a leader with a solid track record in the public, private, and political arenas, asserting that the Hamzat-Sonayon James partnership represents a mix of experience, innovation, and strong community ties ahead of the upcoming election.
