President Bola Tinubu is reportedly furious with Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over what insiders have described as the illegal allocation of 96 hectares of prime land at Banana Island to politically connected developers.
Multiple sources familiar with the matter say the controversial land allocations—including plots allegedly owned by Tinubu himself—have sparked significant political tension within the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading to intense negotiations and political manoeuvring.
According to a source, “Tinubu got upset with Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over illegal land allocation at Banana Island, where they allocated 96 hectares to developers linked to them. Sanwo-Olu, they reported, also sold Tinubu’s land at Banana Island.”
The rift is also said to have influenced Tinubu’s recent reversal of the impeachment of Lagos House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who was removed from office on January 13, 2025, amid allegations of misconduct and financial impropriety.
“It was the reason he reversed the removal of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa,” the source added.
Obasa’s removal, which came after sustained tensions within the Assembly, saw Mojisola Meranda become the first female Speaker in the state’s history.
However, Tinubu, widely considered the political godfather of Lagos, was said to have stepped in forcefully. He ordered Obasa’s reinstatement, arguing that the political fallout from the impeachment outweighed the corruption allegations.
After 49 days, Obasa returned as Speaker, while Meranda resumed her previous role as Deputy Speaker.
Tinubu’s cold shoulder to Sanwo-Olu
On Sunday, June 8, President Tinubu and his wife, Senator Remi Tinubu, received Speaker Obasa in a private meeting. However, when Governor Sanwo-Olu sought an audience, Tinubu reportedly insisted that he would only see him in the presence of Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC) leaders led by Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi.
“So while Tinubu and his wife met with the Speaker personally, he only agreed to meet Sanwo-Olu with a group of Lagos GAC leaders who came to plead on his behalf,” one source said.
The governor’s visit was said to have followed the intervention of several influential figures. Public speculation about a rift intensified after Tinubu appeared to pointedly snub Sanwo-Olu at a recent Lagos event, an action widely interpreted as confirmation of the simmering feud.
Sanwo-Olu has, however, publicly denied any falling-out with the president.
When asked by an NTA reporter about the rumoured rift, he responded:
“Did you see any discord? Can’t you see, even you are smiling and I am smiling? There is none.
You know, there are people who believe they are more Catholic than the Pope. You know, there are things that, when you see people, you know, they cry more than the bereaved.
You know, father and son are things that we’ll always ensure that, you know… there’s nothing at all. He’s my father, he’s my leader, and we are grateful that he’s given us the audience today to come in and say hello to him.”
Tinubu orders revocation of questionable land allocations.
In a move seen as an attempt to reassert control and restore public confidence, President Tinubu has reportedly initiated steps to revoke land allocations made under Sanwo-Olu’s administration in Banana Island and other elite districts.
“Tinubu is also to revoke the land allocated illegally by Sanwo-Olu and others as part of their agreement,” said another source.
This aligns with Tinubu’s earlier directive issued during the commissioning of the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road, where he ordered the revocation of unauthorised developments on federal road setbacks and infrastructure corridors in Lagos.
“I’ve directed the Honourable Minister of Works to work with the Surveyor General of the Federation and all the state governors,” Tinubu said.
“Please, our dear governors, let’s work together. Don’t give planning approvals without collaborating with the Surveyor General of the Federation and the Ministry of Works on these roads. Please, I appeal to you.”
“I’m glad the deputy governor of Lagos State is here. Take it that we will revoke all those approvals given on the setback already given, and please note that we are very serious about it.
No more approval for those islands being created illegally,” he added.
EFCC probes massive land racketeering scheme.
Earlier in May, SaharaReporters had exposed what appears to be one of the largest land racketeering and money laundering operations involving the Lagos State Government and federal officials. A letter dated May 16, 2025, from the EFCC requested full documentation of suspicious land allocations to 14 companies across Banana Island, Lekki, Osborne Foreshore, and Lagos Lagoon.
The letter, signed by Ahmed Ghali, Acting Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, was addressed to Housing Minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa. It requested certified true copies of development permits, certificates of occupancy, equity structures, and revenue-sharing agreements.
The EFCC is investigating “an alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering.”
The companies listed include:
Walaris Nigeria Limited – 572.735 hectares at Lagos Lagoon
Tafba Nigeria Limited – 60.8 hectares at Lagos Lagoon
Pranav Contracting Nigeria Limited – 254 hectares at Banana Island
Marlot Eagle Island – 100.060 hectares at Banana Island
Banana Island Higher-End Castle Limited – 96 hectares at Banana Island
Marina Del Ray – 68 hectares at Water Lagoon
Spa Dredging Company Limited – 80.997 hectares at Orange Island
Bull Construction Limited – 20 hectares at Onikoyi Waterfront
Grace Waters – 115 hectares in Lekki
Grace Point—100 hectares in Lekki
Gold Island—261.403 hectares at Banana Island
Others include Meroni Nigeria Limited, Marathon Infrastructure West Africa Limited, and more.
As federal investigators widen the probe, Tinubu’s crackdown on
