Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, dispelled swirling rumours of a rift between him and President Bola Tinubu, describing their relationship as that of a father and son.
Sanwo-Olu made the clarification shortly after visiting the President at his Bourdillon residence in the upscale Ikoyi area of Lagos, where he was accompanied by members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC)—the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos.
The meeting, held behind closed doors, comes amid speculation of a strained relationship between the President and the Lagos State governor, particularly following the controversial removal and swift reinstatement of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
The governor’s noticeable absence from the recent flag-off of the Epe-Ijebu-Ode deep seaport access road project, as well as President Tinubu’s apparent snub of Sanwo-Olu during the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway commissioning, had further fuelled speculation of a political fallout.
However, addressing reporters after Sunday’s meeting, Sanwo-Olu dismissed the reports of discord as unfounded and exaggerated.
READ ALSO: PICTORIAL: Sanwo-Olu Unveils Three New Trains, Increases Capacity
“There is none. There are people more Catholic than the Pope; they cry more than the bereaved,” the governor said.
“Father-and-son affairs are things that we always ensure we clear. There is nothing at all. He is my father and my leader, and we are grateful that he has given us the audience to say hello to him today.”
Also present at the high-level meeting were Sanwo-Olu’s deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and his deputy, Mojisola Meranda; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and other key political figures in Lagos APC.
The meeting is believed to be part of ongoing efforts to maintain unity and consolidate power within the ruling party in the state, especially as political alignments continue to evolve ahead of future electoral cycles.