President Bola Tinubu has declared that his relationship with Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, remains cordial, effectively putting an end to speculation of a rift between the two leaders. “It’s all over now. All is forgiven,” Tinubu said during a Sallah homage visit at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos.
This public reconciliation comes amid widespread reports of a frosty relationship between the president and the governor, which recently gained traction on social media. Tensions were perceived to have peaked in May when President Tinubu appeared to snub Governor Sanwo-Olu during the inauguration of Phase 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. A video shared by the president’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, showed Tinubu greeting several dignitaries while seemingly overlooking Sanwo-Olu.
However, the atmosphere shifted on Sunday when Sanwo-Olu, alongside key political leaders in Lagos, paid a Sallah homage to President Tinubu. The delegation, led by the Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Tajudeen Olusi, included the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; APC Lagos Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi; Senators Tokunbo Abiru and Ganiyu Solomon; Cardinal James Odunmbaku, and others.
During the meeting, Olusi acknowledged the president’s perceived displeasure with some individuals in the state, particularly Governor Sanwo-Olu, and appealed for forgiveness. In response, President Tinubu reassured the delegation of his goodwill, stating there was no lingering animosity.
Sources at the meeting reported that Governor Sanwo-Olu and other GAC members prostrated before the president in a traditional gesture of remorse and reconciliation. One insider noted: “There were no explanations or back-and-forth discussions. The delegation simply pleaded for mercy on behalf of the governor, and the president graciously accepted.”
The gesture is seen as a significant step in reaffirming unity within the Lagos political leadership and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).