Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu Reunite? GAC Visit Sparks Speculation

Sanwo-Olu leads members of GAC to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos’s President’s Villa

Lagos | Sunday, June 8, 2025

In what political observers have described as a strategic and potentially reconciliatory move, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday led members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on a courtesy visit to the private residence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos.

Though details of the closed-door meeting have not been officially disclosed, the visit has stirred discussions across political circles, especially in light of recent events that fueled speculation about a strained relationship between the governor and the president.

The visit comes just weeks after a widely circulated video surfaced from the inauguration ceremony of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, where President Tinubu appeared to snub Governor Sanwo-Olu during the event. The absence of the governor during the president’s recent high-profile visit to the Dangote Refinery in Ibeju Lekki also raised eyebrows and led to whispers of a possible rift between the two influential figures in Lagos politics.

Political analysts believe Sunday’s visit may be part of an effort by key Lagos APC stakeholders to mend perceived cracks and reaffirm unity within the party, especially as preparations for the 2027 election cycle begin to take shape.

The presence of GAC members—comprising influential elder statesmen and political heavyweights—further underscores the significance of the visit. A group photograph taken after the meeting shows President Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu in the company of other APC chieftains, radiating camaraderie, though public statements were notably absent.

A senior party source who spoke to The Merit Newspaper on condition of anonymity described the meeting as “private but important,” adding that “it was a family affair and a matter of strategic reconciliation.”

While the Presidency and the Lagos State Government have yet to issue official statements, the visit may mark a turning point in reaffirming cohesion between the state leadership and the presidency—two pillars that have historically shaped the political direction of Nigeria’s commercial capital.

Observers continue to watch closely as the dynamics within the Lagos APC unfold, especially in light of internal power realignments and potential succession plans within the state’s leadership structure.