A member of the Governance Advisory Council in Lagos State, Chief Muraina Taiwo, on Sunday, said the speculated rift between President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is now over.

In a telephone interview with The PUNCH, Taiwo said God had resolved the crisis, adding that the father (Tinubu) had drawn his son (Sanwo-Olu) closer.

Speaking after a meeting of the GAC members with the President, Taiwo said, “Everything they are saying, God has resolved it. The father (Tinubu) has drawn his son (Sanwo-Olu) closer, and the son has also hugged his father; we are now one in Lagos State.

“It only looked like that, but currently, we are in the meeting, and God has done it.”

This came after a former governor of Ogun State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Olusegun Osoba, also on Sunday, said the leaders of the party were working to resolve the differences between the President and Sanwo-Olu.

Speaking with The PUNCH, Osoba said he may not be able to divulge to the public exactly what the leaders were doing to reunite the President and the governor, adding, however, that the leaders were not keeping quiet as he promised that everything would end well.

The former governor said “You don’t expect that an elder like me will divulge what we are doing and you should know that we will not keep quiet and allow the whole thing fester beyond control.

“After all, I am involved in Lagos and Rivers issues, so the elders are not keeping quiet and we are assuring the nation that all will be well.”

The inquiry followed speculations in the public space that there may have been a rift between the President and the governor.

Though the governor was on hand to welcome the President to Lagos on his recent trip, the camaraderie between the two was not usual.

At the inauguration of the completed 30km of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Lagos, on May 31, videos which went viral on social media show the President snubbed Sanwo-Olu during the exchange of pleasantries.

The PUNCH also reports that in an unusual turn of events, Sanwo-Olu was absent when Tinubu unveiled the reconstructed 27km Lekki Deep Seaport road on Thursday, sparking concerns about a strained relationship between the duo.

Similarly, our correspondent observed that Sanwo-Olu’s deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, who was present at the event, did not make any speech on behalf of the state or the governor.

The governor was also away in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to welcome Governor Umo Eno’s defection to the APC, and was not around for the Sallah celebration visit to the President.

On Saturday, the picture of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, paying homage to Tinubu, went viral on social media, putting further concerns on the strained relationship of the President with Sanwo-Olu.

However, on Sunday, the picture of the President with Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, Obasa, and GAC members was shared by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, on his X handle, calming frayed nerves.

A popular cleric and Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, had warned that Sanwo-Olu may be removed from office by 2026.

The cleric, in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, recounted that he foretold the crisis between the president and the governor at the beginning of the latter’s second term but was ignored.

He urged Sanwo-Olu to ensure he settled whatever differences may be occurring to avoid being disgracefully removed while pleading with Tinubu to stop the planned removal.

There are concerns that the relationship worsened after the leadership crisis that recently rocked the Lagos Assembly, which saw Obasa ousted by the majority of the assembly members.

However, following interventions, Obasa was reinstated.

A source close to Obasa claimed on Sunday that the rift between the duo did not only stem from the Lagos assembly crisis but had spiralled down from allegations that the governor funded the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The claim has, however, been debunked by the Presidency and Atiku himself, although Sanwo-Olu did not speak on the issue.

Atiku denied claims that he received funds from Sanwo-Olu to finance his 2023 presidential campaign.

In a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku described the allegation as a baseless smear campaign.

Some media reports around the time (not by The PUNCH) suggested that Sanwo-Olu’s political future could be in jeopardy after the President allegedly found out that the governor gave Atiku funds for his campaign.

The reports stated that security intelligence informed President Tinubu that anti-corruption agents discovered funds from Sanwo-Olu’s alleged associate, Aisha Achimugu, which somehow made its way to Atiku of the opposition PDP.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had also dismissed claims linking its investigation of Achimugu to Atiku and Sanwo-Olu.

The commission had declared the businesswoman and socialite wanted in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

Meanwhile, the source, who spoke to our correspondent, said, “It is established that there is a rift (between the President and governor). From what I gathered, it was because Sanwo-Olu was said to have given Atiku money during his campaign.

“Recall that at some point, Sanwo-Olu also approached the court to seek an injunction against the EFCC from probing him. The following day, Sanwo-Olu denied it.”

He alleged that the strained relationship led to the governor’s move.

“The Obasa’s issue is just the last straw that broke the camel’s back,” the source added.

In late October 2024, the Lagos State government denied media reports claiming that Sanwo-Olu sued the EFCC over an alleged plan to arrest and prosecute him after his tenure.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), clarified this in a statement after earlier reports suggested that Sanwo-Olu had allegedly filed a lawsuit against the EFCC.

The suit, filed as a fundamental rights enforcement action, was reportedly presented before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja by a counsel, Darlington Ozurumba.

In November of the same year, the suit was struck out by the court.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Justice Abdulmalik struck out the matter after the lawyer who appeared for Sanwo-Olu, Gbenga Akande, moved the motion for the discontinuance of the case.

Sanwo-Olu, speaking with journalists after the GAC closed-door meeting with the President, denied rumours of any rift, dismissing the rumour as baseless media speculation driven by outsiders “crying more than the bereaved.”

The governor clarified that the visit was part of a long-standing tradition by the GAC to pay Sallah homage to party elders and leaders, particularly during festive seasons.

“It’s our usual. You know, the festive period is a time for Mr President to meet with his brothers, leaders of our party… It’s something that they always look forward to,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu emphasised that the meeting was also an opportunity to offer prayers, express support for the President, and reaffirm the group’s collective commitment to the APC and its leadership.

He praised Tinubu’s impact on the development of Lagos, citing key achievements such as the completion of the Blue Line rail project and recent federal interventions aimed at reducing fuel and food prices.



https://punchng.com/sanwo-olu-tinubu-rift-now-resolved-says-gac-member/