“I did not even have her number”: Hamzat admits he met his running mate on paper

●Tinubu gave the order: “Make it a young woman” — And Lagos APC delivered

It was a political blind date — and the whole of Lagos is watching.

Lagos Deputy Governor and APC’s 2027 governorship flagbearer, Obafemi Hamzat, has dropped a bombshell: he had never spoken to, met, or even had the phone number of his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before the party announced her.

The confession came Thursday at the public presentation of “Who Is She?” in Ikoyi, and it turned the room silent.

“Until Damilola was selected, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” Hamzat said, almost laughing at the absurdity of it.

So how did it happen?

According to Hamzat, the call came from the top. President Bola Tinubu told Lagos APC to “go and sort it out.”

And Hamzat had one condition.

“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 said, ‘It should be young.’ He said, ‘It’s okay.’”

Just like that, the brief was set: female. Young. Lagos West.

Zoning did the rest. With Hamzat from Lagos East and Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu from Lagos Central, the deputy slot naturally swung to Lagos West.

Enter Damilola Sonayon-James — APC deputy woman leader, grassroots mobilizer from Badagry, and a name Hamzat admits he didn’t know until the list landed.

But Hamzat insists it wasn’t a random pick.
“The important thing is that she’s been very active in the community. She’s been doing great things,” he said, defending the selection as strictly merit-based.

He also used the moment to send a message to young Nigerian women: the doors are still open.

“Nigeria still offers opportunities for those prepared to contribute meaningfully to public service.”

Sonayon-James was unveiled days ago as Hamzat’s running mate for the 2027 Lagos governorship race — after what the APC called “extensive consultations and a rigorous selection process.”

Rigorous, yes. Familiar, not so much.

From strangers to joint ticket in one phone call from Aso Rock.

In Lagos politics, that’s how fast history gets made.