● Roberts Orji
There are strong indications that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu may be facing serious political trouble, following a major fallout with his political godfather, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. According to credible sources, the once cordial relationship between both men has become so strained that efforts to repair it have reportedly collapsed.
Tensions came to a head recently when the President deliberately snubbed Sanwo-Olu at two high-profile project commissioning events in Lagos. The governor was noticeably absent at the commissioning of a 30km section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, despite its importance to the state. Even more telling, Sanwo-Olu was barred from attending the commissioning of the 37km Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road. Instead, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, represented the state government.
Sources within the All Progressives Congress (APC) reveal that Governor Sanwo-Olu’s situation is precarious, and efforts are ongoing behind the scenes to placate the president. “Unless some of the APC governors and other influential allies of the governor succeed in pleading with the president, Sanwo-Olu may not survive this,” a party insider told GMTNewsng. The implication is that the governor may be forced out before the end of his tenure.
Allegations are also swirling that impeachment papers against Sanwo-Olu have already been signed and are only awaiting the appropriate political climate to be activated. The president is reportedly furious with the governor over his handling of the botched impeachment move against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. Many believe this episode significantly deepened the rift between the two leaders.
Though it is unclear whether Governor Sanwo-Olu acted independently or was influenced by political calculations within the state, analysts say it is evident that all is not well in Lagos State’s power structure. “These are certainly the darkest days of Sanwo-Olu’s political career,” a source close to the Lagos political establishment said.
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor and chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is reportedly leading a delegation of APC governors appealing to President Tinubu not to move against Sanwo-Olu, warning that such a move could hand the opposition political capital ahead of the 2027 elections. “The president is very bitter, but some of us are trying to convince him to let things be for the sake of the party,” said a top APC chieftain who spoke under condition of anonymity. GMTNewsng