Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has responded to media reports alleging a discord between him and President Bola Tinubu.
Sanwo-Olu denied any discord between himself and Tinubu in an interview with NTA on Sunday, as monitored by Nairametrics.
His response came just a few hours after he and members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) reportedly met with President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Is There Any Discord Between Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu?
On May 31, 2025, several media outlets reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu snubbed Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the commissioning of the Lagos-Calabar highway.
The 30-kilometre stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was a major event for the president, who was accompanied by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Finance Minister Wale Edun, and second-term governors, including Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), among others.
In several videos, the president was seen exchanging pleasantries (handshakes) with dignitaries seated in the front row alongside Sanwo-Olu.
However, upon reaching the governor, the president was seen moving past him without shaking his hand, proceeding to greet the next dignitary seated opposite Sanwo-Olu.
Days later, the president commissioned the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Plant in Lagos.
According to a statement from the presidency, “The governors of Plateau, Abia, Enugu, Ogun, Borno, and Kaduna states attended the ceremony.”
The media also highlighted Sanwo-Olu’s absence from this event held in his state.
Sanwo-Olu Reacts
- When asked to clarify media reports alleging a discord between him and the president, Sanwo-Olu said no such discord exists.
“Did you see any discord? Did you see any? Can’t you see I’m smiling? There’s none.
“You know, there are people who believe they are more Catholic than the Pope.
“There are things you see people do; they cry more than the bereaved,” he said.
“You know, father and son are things we always, always ensure we are clear. There’s nothing at all.
“He is my father, he is my leader, and we are grateful that he gave us the audience today to come in and say hello to him,” he added.
While the governor appeared smiling in the video, a number of critics and analysts claim that Sanwo-Olu’s relationship with Tinubu has not been good in recent times.
