Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu instructed party leaders to settle on a running mate themselves after suggesting the candidate should be a woman and relatively young.
Hamzat made the disclosure on Thursday while narrating the process that led to the emergence of his running mate, Sonaiya-James, during the public presentation of “Who Is She?” held at the Syrian Club Event Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The deputy governor explained that the selection process was guided by the state’s political balance, noting that he had no personal relationship with Sonaiya-James before her emergence as the party’s deputy governorship candidate. He said what mattered most was her track record of service and commitment to grassroots development.
Recounting his conversation with the President, Hamzat said, “The President called me and said, you guys go and sort it out, and I’m quoting him. I said, sir, I think it should be a female. He said, it’s okay. It should be young. He said, it’s okay.
“We now said, okay, but we must also make sure it’s not from the east, because I’m from the east. And then the current governor is from the central, so it cannot be from central. It must be from the west.
“But my point is that until Damilola was elected, I don’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody. But what is the important thing? The important thing is that she’s been very active in the community. She’s been doing great things.”
Hamzat also urged young women not to be discouraged by negative narratives about Nigeria, insisting that opportunities still exist for those willing to contribute to national development.
He said, “So, our young ladies, you know, if you listen on television, you hear all sorts of negative things about this country. Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it.”
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