President Bola Tinubu on Sunday hosted Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at his private residence located in Ikoyi, Lagos amid reports that the President had fallen out with the Governor.
Sanwo-Olu’s visit to Tinubu followed that of foremost Yoruba Monarch and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, who had departed the residence, after he told newsmen that his visit was primarily to mark the Sallah break with the President and to personally debrief him following his recent trip to Kazakhstan.
The Lagos Governor hopped into a waiting, high capacity coaster bus and departed the residence along with the Governors Advisory Council (GAC) in a convoy.
The Advisory Council, is a powerful political body within the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The GAC is widely recognized as the apex decision-making organ of the APC in Lagos, wielding significant influence over the state’s political direction and governance.
Moments later, his Deputy Governor, Femi Hazmat, also departed amid cheers from onlookers as he waved in acknowledgement.
For months, the perceived feud between President Tinubu and his long time political protege, Governor Sanwo-Olu had trended in the media fueling speculations of a love lost between the two leaders from the south west.
Specifically, Sanwo-Olu was said to have attempted to alter the political structure by moving against a key ally of Tinubu, leading to a rift and subsequent sidelining of Sanwo-Olu in party affairs.
Such maneuvers, reportedly, involved reshuffling of appointments and alleged marginalizing loyalists of the predecessor (former Governor Tinubu) to consolidate power and assert independence among others.
Though neither President Tinubu nor Sanwo-Olu has publicly acknowledged any rift between them, sources within the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the national, zonal, and state levels reportedly confirmed that a subtle but widening gulf now separates the President and the Lagos governor.
However, emerging from the closed door meeting, Sanwo-Olu dismissed any rift with President Tinubu, describing speculation in the media as “people crying more than the bereaved”.
Dismissing the alleged notion between them with humour, Sanwo-Olu described the reports of it as baseless and misleading.
“Do you see any discord? Can’t you see when you are smiling, I’m smiling? There’s none (feud). He’s my father, he’s my leader.”
The Lagos State Governor who firmly denied the rumors of a discord, further clarified that the Ikoyi meeting was a traditional courtesy visit by the GAC, a long-standing practice during festive periods.
“It’s our usual. You know, festive period Council visits and a time for Mr. President to meet with his brothers, leaders of our party… It’s something that they always look forward to.”
However, according to THISDAY report, Chairman of the GAC, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, who welcomed the president to Lagos, said it was obvious he was unhappy with some persons in the state, especially the governor, and, therefore pleaded for mercy.
Responding, the president, according to multiple sources, said, “It’s all over now. All is forgiven,” assuring everyone in the room that he was no longer angry with anyone, let alone Sanwo-Olu.
It was at this point that Sanwo-Olu and other members of the GAC prostrated to the president in apparent remorse and appeasement.
One of the sources told THISDAY that the meeting didn’t entertain a situation where the President or the governor had to start explaining what happened between them.
