Lagos Deputy Governor's Shock Admission: Didn't Know Running Mate Before Selection

Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, made a notable revelation during the public showing of “Who Is She?” at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos. Hamzat disclosed that he had never met or spoken to his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before the party officially selected her for the role.

The choice of the deputy governorship candidate, according to Hamzat, was the outcome of extensive discussions within the Lagos APC chapter. This process was initiated following President Bola Tinubu’s request for the state chapter to resolve the matter of the running mate. Hamzat recalled suggesting to the President that the candidate should be a young woman, a suggestion that President Tinubu reportedly agreed with. He quoted the President saying, “You guys go and sort it out,” after which Hamzat proposed, “Sir, I think it should be a female,” and “It should be young,” both of which were met with approval.

In making their decision, the APC also meticulously considered the state’s internal zoning plan. Hamzat, who hails from Lagos East, noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is from Lagos Central. Consequently, the deputy governor position was strategically zoned to Lagos West, to ensure geographical balance and representation within the party’s ticket. Hamzat reiterated his lack of prior personal connection with Sonayon-James, stating, “Until Damilola was chosen, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody.”

Damilola Sonayon-James, an indigene of Badagry, was selected based on her demonstrated abilities and significant contributions within the party and her community. She holds prominent positions within the APC, serving as the deputy state chairman of the APC in Lagos, and previously as the party’s state assistant woman leader. Her political experience also includes serving as a supervisory councillor for agriculture and social services in Badagry West Local Council Development Area. Academically, Sonayon-James is highly qualified, possessing a master’s degree in social work from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and a degree in business and human resources management from the University of Hull. Furthermore, she is the chief executive officer of DGS Chauffeurs and Logistics. The APC formally unveiled Sonayon-James as Hamzat’s running mate in May, thereby finalizing the party’s ticket for the crucial 2027 Lagos governorship election.