President Bola Tinubu on Saturday appeared to ignore Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the commissioning of Phase 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
In a video posted by the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, Tinubu was seen entering the event venue and shaking hands with several governors — including Babagana Zulum of Borno, Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, and Bassey Otu of Cross River.
However, he appeared to walk past Governor Sanwo-Olu, who stood up and stretched out his hand in greeting but was not acknowledged by the President. The moment has since stirred reactions, as many believe it was a public snub.
Sanwo-Olu, being a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress, was widely seen as an ally and protégé of Bola Tinubu, who has dominated Lagos politics for decades and used the state as a springboard for his national ambitions. Sanwo-Olu’s political rise was closely tied to Tinubu’s influence, and his gubernatorial victories in 2019 and 2023 were largely attributed to Tinubu’s backing and the APC’s political machinery in Lagos.
So far, there has been no official statement from either the Presidency or Sanwo-Olu’s office to explain the incident or confirm if it was intentional.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who just marked six years in office on Thursday, is widely known as one of Tinubu’s close political allies and loyalists. The two have maintained a strong relationship, with Tinubu often described as Sanwo-Olu’s political mentor.
The commissioning ceremony, held at KM 8 of the project near Jakande Estate in Lagos, marked the completion of the first 30 kilometres of the planned 750-kilometre highway. The road is a major project under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and will eventually connect Lagos to Calabar, passing through several coastal states including Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
Present at the event were also governors Monday Okpebholo of Edo and Usman Ododo of Kogi, among others.
SEE VIDEO HERE
VIDEO: Tinubu snubs Sanwo-Olu at inauguration of Lagos-Calabar coastal highway phase 1
📹: @DOlusegun pic.twitter.com/5YDEu7vCh4
— TheCable (@thecableng) May 31, 2025
