President Bola Tinubu sparked reactions on Saturday when he appeared to ignore Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during the commissioning ceremony for Phase 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
A video posted by the President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, showed Tinubu greeting several governors in attendance, including Babagana Zulum of Borno, Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, and Bassey Otu of Cross River.
However, as the President moved through the line, he seemingly walked past Governor Sanwo-Olu, who had stood up and extended his hand in greeting. The moment, which has since gone viral, has been interpreted by many as a deliberate snub. Neither the Presidency nor Sanwo-Olu’s office has issued an official statement to clarify the incident or confirm whether it was intentional.
The apparent slight comes just two days after Governor Sanwo-Olu marked his sixth year in office. The Lagos governor is widely regarded as one of Tinubu’s closest political allies and protégés, having maintained a strong relationship with the President, who is often described as his political mentor.
The commissioning ceremony, held at KM 8 of the project near Jakande Estate in Lagos, celebrated the completion of the first 30 kilometres of the 750-kilometre coastal highway.
The infrastructure project is a key component of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and is expected to connect Lagos to Calabar, passing through several coastal states, including Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
Other governors present at the event included Monday Okpebholo of Edo and Usman Ododo of Kogi, among others.
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