As part of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, President Bola Tinubu welcomed the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu among a group of renowned Nigerians on Sunday at his Lagos mansion to pay Sallah respect.
Members of the Governance Advisory Council, the All Progressives Congress’s highest decision-making body in Lagos were also received by the president.
Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, confirmed the visit in a post on Sunday.
Onanuga wrote, “More eminent Nigerians pay Sallah homage to President Tinubu in Lagos on Sunday.”
During the visit, the president posed for a group shot with Sanwo-Olu and members of the Governance Advisory Council.
Sanwo-Olu also posted on X, stating, “Today, along with members of the Governance Advisory Council, we paid a Sallah visit to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend our greetings and best wishes during this special season.”
While addressing the press, Sanwo-Olu emphasised Tinubu’s support for Lagos’ transport development.
“We all came around to felicitate with him, to pray with him and wish him well and to inform him that Lagosians and everyone are happy with him and that we can feel and see the impact of what he has done in the last two years and wish him well that he has our best wishes and support at all times,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu also emphasised Tinubu’s role in subsidy elimination and his backing for the Blue Rail Line’s three trains, which were unveiled on Sunday at the National Theatre Station.
This visit came amid widespread rumours of a strained relationship between Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu.
Questions emerged after Tinubu appeared to snub Sanwo-Olu in a video during the launch of Phase 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Lagos on Saturday, May 31.
The governor’s absence from the start of restoration work on the deep seaport access road in Epe-Ijebu Ode in early June fuelled speculation that he and his political leader were at odds.
However, the Sunday Sallah visit appeared to debunk some of those rumours.
It was reported that Tinubu snubbed Sanwo-Olu during the inauguration ceremony of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.
The inauguration event of the completed phase 1, section 1 (30km by six lanes) of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway in the commercial city was attended by several dignitaries, including former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno; Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa; and Bassey Otu, governor of Cross River.
Tinubu exchanged pleasantries by shaking hands with the dignitaries as he proceeded along the line of officials.
However, when Tinubu reached Sanwo-Olu, he ignored the Lagos governor and extended a handshake directly to greet Ahmed Ododo, the governor of Kogi, who was next in line.
The construction of the highway began in March, 2024. The first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometres of dual carriageway, was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.
Tinubu subsequently flagged off the construction of the highway in May 2024.
The project generated controversies, including the demolition of structures on the beach and allegations of a lack of transparency in the award and its cost.
