APC Picks Female Deputy Governor for Hamzat Ahead 2027 Poll

Princess Damilola Sonayon-James

APC Picks Female Deputy Governor for Hamzat Ahead 2027 Poll

LAGOS – The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has taken a definitive step toward the 2027 gubernatorial election by officially announcing its deputy governorship candidate, setting the stage for what promises to be a high-stakes political contest in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

The party has chosen to occupy the joint ticket Princess Damilola Sonayon-James, a strategic decision made as part of early maneuvers to retain its dominant political grip on the state. She will contest alongside the party’s flagbearer and current Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who secured the governorship ticket in a landslide primary election victory.

Princess Damilola Sonayon-James is a politician, sustainability specialist, and business leader, widely recognised for her grassroots mobilisation and advocacy for women’s empowerment. She currently serves as the Deputy State Chairman of the APC in Lagos State, having risen through the party ranks after previously serving as the State Assistant Woman Leader. Her political career also includes experience as a Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture and Social Services in Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA). She hails from the royal family of the ancient Kweme Kingdom in Badagry, Lagos State, adding geographical balance to the ticket and strengthening the party’s appeal in Lagos West Senatorial District. Beyond politics, Sonayon-James has established a career spanning human resources, logistics and sustainability management. She is the Chief Executive Officer of DGS Chauffeurs and Logistics and also serves as founder of the BSJ Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on women empowerment, youth development and community sanitation.

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Princess Damilola Sonayon-James1

Academically, Sonayon-James holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) and a degree in Business and Human Resources Management from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. She is also a certified Sustainability Risk and Strategy Consultant with experience spanning both the public and private sectors.

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat secured the APC governorship ticket with a landslide victory, polling 657,917 votes out of 657,974 votes cast, while his sole challenger, Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal, received only one vote. The primary election was conducted across the state’s 245 wards in the 20 local government areas and was described by the APC national governorship primary election committee chairman, retired General Jonathan Temlong, as peaceful and transparent. This victory makes Hamzat the first Deputy Governor in Lagos State’s history to secure a governorship ticket while still serving as deputy. The primary saw the withdrawal of other aspirants, including Babajide Adeniran (popularly known as Jandor) and Samuel Mawuyon Ajose (SMA Gold), who stepped down in support of Hamzat ahead of the exercise.

The political pairing comes on the heels of major structural endorsements for the Hamzat ticket, which has already received crucial backing from the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) —the apex leadership body of the APC in Lagos State—outgoing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and regional party leadership. Significantly, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement of his deputy marks the first time since Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999 that a sitting Lagos governor has openly backed his deputy to succeed him. This endorsement followed extensive consultations involving President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and other key stakeholders. According to party sources, Sonayon-James’ nomination was reportedly backed by President Bola Tinubu and the Governance Advisory Committee (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos State. Reports indicate that Sonayon-James recently met with Tinubu at his Lagos residence prior to her nomination.

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The selection of Sonayon-James reportedly puts to rest speculation surrounding the choice of Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the current Secretary to the State Government (SSG), who was earlier linked to the position and also represents the Badagry division. Party sources confirmed that the decision followed extensive consultations among key stakeholders and was aimed at strengthening the APC’s campaign structure and grassroots appeal across the state. The governorship ambition of Hamzat has reportedly received further boost from various stakeholders, including the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), transport unions, and religious organisations, who have expressed support for his candidacy.

In his acceptance speech following the primary, Hamzat unveiled a development agenda tagged “My Lagos Dream,” centred on job creation, improved infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security for residents of the state. “First, service delivery: freeing up more money for services and maintaining the biggest infrastructure investment programme in West Africa. Second, job creation: policies to fast-track jobs for our youths and support for entrepreneurs and industrialisation,” Hamzat said.

Party leadership is expected to officially unveil the Hamzat–Sonayon-James ticket in a formal ceremony in the coming days, an event scheduled to flag off a more aggressive phase of grassroots mobilization and political sensitization across Lagos. The party is also expected to soon unveil its manifesto and programmes aimed at sustaining development in the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The emergence of a female deputy governorship candidate is widely seen as a strategic move to consolidate support among women voters, who constitute a significant portion of the electorate in Lagos State. As political activities gather momentum, all eyes will be on how other political parties respond with their own ticket announcements in the coming weeks.