Lagos State Deputy Governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that he neither knew Princess Damilola Sonayon James personally nor had her phone number before she emerged as his running mate.
Speaking on Thursday at the public presentation of Who Is She? held at the Syrian Club Event Centre, Ikoyi, Hamzat lifted the curtain on the rigorous behind-the-scenes consultations that culminated in the emergence of the Badagry-born politician as the APC deputy governorship candidate.
According to him, the selection process was driven by merit, strategic political considerations and the party’s vision for Lagos, rather than personal relationships or political patronage.
Recounting how the decision evolved, Hamzat revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu instructed party leaders to resolve the choice internally after agreeing with his recommendation that the running mate should be a young woman.
“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 also said it should be young, and he agreed,” Hamzat recalled.
He explained that geographical balance also played a significant role in the deliberations.
“We said the candidate should not come from the East because I’m from the East. The current governor is from the Central, so it couldn’t be from the Central either. It had to be from the West,” he said.
Hamzat then made a revelation that drew applause from the audience, saying that despite eventually becoming his running mate, he had never met Princess Sonayon James and did not even possess her contact details before her nomination.
“Until Damilola was chosen, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” he disclosed.
He stressed that her emergence was not influenced by familiarity but by her track record of selfless service, grassroots mobilisation and consistent contributions to community development.
“The important thing is that she’s been very active in the community. She’s been doing great things,” Hamzat said.
The APC governorship candidate used the occasion to encourage young women across Nigeria to remain hopeful and committed to making meaningful contributions to society despite prevailing challenges.
“Our young ladies, when you listen to television, you hear all sorts of negative things about this country. Don’t believe it. Opportunities still exist for those willing to contribute positively to society,” he advised.
Princess Damilola Sonayon James, a proud daughter of Badagry and the APC Deputy Woman Leader in Lagos State, was recently unveiled as Hamzat’s running mate following what party leaders described as an extensive and painstaking selection process.
The Lagos APC said her nomination came after careful assessments of competence, grassroots acceptability, loyalty to the party, leadership capacity and her longstanding commitment to public service.
State APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, described Sonayon James as a tested leader with experience spanning the public, private and political sectors, noting that the Hamzat–Sonayon James ticket represents a strategic blend of experience, youthful energy, innovation and grassroots appeal as the party prepares for the 2027 Lagos governorship election.
