Revealed: How Sanwo-Olu Secretly Backed Atiku’s 2023 Bid Against Tinubu

A member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos State, Muraina Taiwo, has confirmed that the reported dispute between President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been resolved.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking to The Punch via telephone on Sunday, Taiwo described the misunderstanding as a thing of the past.

“All those rumours have been settled by God. The father (Tinubu) has embraced his son (Sanwo-Olu), and the son has reciprocated. We are united again in Lagos State,” he said. “It might have seemed serious before, but right now, we’re in meetings and everything has been resolved.”

Former Ogun State Governor and APC chieftain, Olusegun Osoba, also addressed the issue, stating that party elders have been actively working behind the scenes to reconcile the two leaders.

“As an elder, I can’t divulge all our efforts, but rest assured we’re not sitting idle while issues threaten unity. I’m involved in resolving both Lagos and Rivers matters. Everything will be fine,” Osoba assured.

The reconciliation follows weeks of speculation about a cold relationship between the President and the Lagos governor, especially during Tinubu’s recent visit to the state.

During the May 31 inauguration of the 30km section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, social media videos showed Tinubu allegedly ignoring Sanwo-Olu during greetings. The governor’s absence at the commissioning of the 27km Lekki Deep Seaport Road a few days earlier further fueled the speculation.

At that event, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat attended in Sanwo-Olu’s stead but unusually did not deliver any remarks on behalf of the state.

In another development that raised eyebrows, Sanwo-Olu was not in Lagos during the Sallah holiday but traveled to Uyo, Akwa Ibom, where he welcomed Governor Umo Eno into the APC.

Meanwhile, viral images over the weekend showed Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa prostrating before Tinubu—an act interpreted by many as signaling political tensions.

However, on Sunday, presidential media aide Bayo Onanuga shared a group photo of Tinubu with Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, Obasa, and GAC members, suggesting that peace had returned.

Insiders claim that the rift long predates the recent Lagos Assembly drama that briefly saw Obasa removed as speaker before his swift reinstatement.

According to Punch, the fallout was worsened by allegations that Sanwo-Olu secretly supported Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential bid—a claim strongly denied by both the Presidency and Atiku’s camp.

“It’s confirmed that there was tension between the President and the governor,” a source said. “From what I’ve gathered, it stemmed from claims that Sanwo-Olu gave financial backing to Atiku’s campaign.”

The source also referenced an earlier controversy in which Sanwo-Olu was reported to have filed a legal suit against the EFCC, seeking to block any potential post-tenure investigation—an action the governor later denied.

“This EFCC lawsuit and the Obasa issue were just final triggers,” the source added.

While some media reports tried to link Sanwo-Olu to Atiku or Aisha Achimugu, a socialite wanted for money laundering, both the EFCC and those involved have dismissed the allegations.

Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, called the reports a “baseless smear campaign.” The Lagos State government, through its Attorney General Lawal Pedro (SAN), also denied any legal action had been taken by Sanwo-Olu to avoid future prosecution.

The EFCC similarly clarified that its case against Achimugu has no connection to either Atiku or Sanwo-Olu.