Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday, June 8, met with President Bola Tinubu at his Bourdillon residence in Ikoyi, Lagos, in what appeared to be a strategic move to quell speculation about a growing rift between the two leaders.
The meeting, which drew key members of the Lagos political elite, was attended by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Sanwo-Olu was joined by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
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The gathering followed weeks of rumours suggesting tension between Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu, especially after the controversial removal and subsequent reinstatement of Obasa as Speaker.
The governor’s absence at the recent flag-off of the Epe-Ijebu Ode port access road project and an apparent public snub by Tinubu during the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway inauguration had further fuelled public speculation.
However, Sunday’s high-level meeting has been widely interpreted as a display of unity among the Lagos APC leadership.