“The President feels let down” – Details emerge as tensions rise between Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu
Tensions are increasing inside President Bola Tinubu’s camp as insiders indicate that the president now feels “let down” by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a development that is felt within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sanwo-Olu, a protégé of Tinubu and beneficiary of his political influence, climbed fast through the APC ranks, winning the Lagos governorship in 2019 and securing re-election in 2023 with Tinubu’s full support.
But according to reports, the relationship has significantly worsened recently, with obvious indications of distrust and distancing.
This was made clear during the President’s most recent trip to Lagos. Witnesses at Murtala Muhammed Airport saw Tinubu greet Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat instead of Sanwo-Olu, skipping the traditional handshake.
Party insiders claim that in order to prevent stoking rumors, the President’s media team was told to keep any video of this encounter out of the public eye. “It took intense last-minute lobbying and persuasion to get the governor included,” an insider revealed. “Otherwise, only the deputy governor was supposed to be at the airport.”
Protocol violations continued.
Sanwo-Olu was not allowed to go with Tinubu to his home in Bourdillon, which is customarily done by the current governor. Instead, Hamzat did so.
A noteworthy omission considering Lagos’s role as host city was the governor’s absence from important events during the visit, such as the ECOWAS 50th anniversary celebration held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
It is thought that Sanwo-Olu’s role in a contentious attempt to remove Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa is partially to blame for the political icy attitude. According to reports, Tinubu quickly reversed the governor’s backing and mobilization of lawmakers to remove Obasa. According to reports, this incident severely damaged the President’s faith in his erstwhile buddy.
Speaking anonymously about the matter, a former Lagos commissioner stated, “This is not just about ego or protocol breaches. The President feels let down in certain ways, and when that happens, he doesn’t forget easily.”
Sanwo-Olu’s exclusion from the APC National Policy and Performance Review Summit in Abuja, when Tinubu was formally endorsed for a second term, is another example of his sidelining. According to sources, the governor might have been subtly shut out after the Obasa scandal.
Furthermore, Sanwo-Olu’s sway on the next Lagos local elections has diminished. In contrast to past trends, none of the 57 chairmanship candidates have any connections to his campaign.
According to reports, party directives prohibited incumbent governors from influencing the choice of candidates, indicating a return to power by Tinubu’s inner circle.
Others apparently quit in response to pressure from newly formed power blocs that were directly loyal to Abuja, while a number of local government candidates who had teamed up with the governor were eliminated during the screening process.
Amidst these changes in power, the once-dominant Governance Advisory Council, a crucial Lagos APC decision-making body, also lost influence.
In 2027, Sanwo-Olu’s second and last term as governor comes to a conclusion. As the countdown progresses, it is recognized that even more forceful claims of authority are imminent.