Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has firmly denied widespread rumours suggesting a falling-out between himself and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing the media after a courtesy visit to the President in Lagos on Sunday, Sanwo-Olu dismissed the speculations as unfounded and driven by mischief-makers seeking attention.
“Did you see any discord?” he asked journalists with a smile. “Can’t you see—even you are smiling, I’m smiling—there is none.”
His comments followed a wave of speculation that emerged after the commissioning of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway on Saturday, May 31. During the high-profile event, President Tinubu was seen warmly greeting several dignitaries, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Finance Minister Wale Edun, and Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka.
However, he appeared to bypass Governor Sanwo-Olu, who had bowed in greeting as the President walked by. This moment, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, fueled speculation of a possible rift.
The event marked the official commissioning of the first 30-kilometre segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway—a flagship infrastructure project that President Tinubu heralded as a critical stride toward economic revitalisation, national integration, and infrastructural advancement.
Several notable figures were present at the launch, including second-term governors like Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, and Sanwo-Olu himself.
Reacting to the viral footage and the narratives it sparked, Sanwo-Olu criticised those behind the rumours, likening them to individuals who exaggerate issues for personal or political gain.
“There are people who like to cry more than the bereaved,” he remarked. “Some people believe they are more Catholic than the Pope.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu also took the opportunity to underscore the strength of his relationship with the President, describing it as one based on mutual respect, mentorship, and trust.
“He is my father, my leader,” the governor stated. “There is absolutely nothing wrong. We are grateful that he gave us time today to come and greet him.”
Amid ongoing speculation in political circles and across social media platforms, the governor’s remarks were a clear attempt to put to rest rumours of any friction between Lagos State and the Federal Government under President Tinubu’s leadership.