Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor of Lagos state and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, says he did not have the phone number of Damilola James before the party selected her as his running mate.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu delegated the responsibility of choosing his running mate to the Lagos APC after agreeing that the position should go to a young woman.
Hamzat spoke on Thursday at the public presentation of Who Is She?, a book written by James.
“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,’” he said.
Hamzat said the party also considered Lagos’ zoning arrangement during the selection process.
He said since he is from Lagos east and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of the state, is from Lagos central, the deputy governorship candidate had to emerge from Lagos west.
“Until Damilola was selected, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” he said.
Hamzat said James was selected based on merit, describing her as a grassroots politician with a track record of community service.
“The important thing is that she’s been very active in the community. She’s been doing great things,” he said.
The deputy governor also encouraged young women not to lose hope in Nigeria, saying the country still offers opportunities for those willing to contribute to public service.
James, the Lagos APC deputy woman leader and a native of Badagry, was unveiled earlier as Hamzat’s running mate for the 2027 governorship election after what the party described as extensive consultations and a rigorous selection process.