By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Public affairs analyst, Segun Aromokunola, has reacted to the controversy trailing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s perceived snub of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during the commissioning of the Lagos-Calabar Superhighway project last weekend.
The commissioning, which took place in Lagos and marked the inauguration of a 30-kilometre section of the federal infrastructure initiative, sparked online reactions after a viral video appeared to show President Tinubu bypassing Governor Sanwo-Olu during a handshake session.
Despite the swirl of speculation, Aromokunola, commenting on a Facebook post by KosofePost, described the president’s action as “most unfortunate” but cautioned against hasty conclusions. While acknowledging that the highway is a federal project, he emphasized that Governor Sanwo-Olu, as the host governor, deserved visible acknowledgment—especially as Lagos is Tinubu’s political stronghold.
“I don’t want to share the belief that the president did it to slight Governor Sanwo-Olu because it might just be an oversight,” Aromokunola wrote. “It’s possible the governor was with the president earlier that day.”
Obasa Controversy Not Relevant, Says Aromokunola
He also dismissed suggestions linking the perceived snub to past political tensions involving Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa. “The matter has been settled, and lessons have been learnt by both parties,” Aromokunola noted, adding that Obasa has since conducted himself responsibly in his legislative duties.
“The President Is Father of All”
Calling for calm as the 2027 general elections draw nearer, Aromokunola stressed the need for unity within the political class, particularly in the president’s home state.
“The president is father of all, and everyone matters. It will not do any good for crisis to erupt from the president’s home state,” he warned. “This is a time to make friends, not enemies.”
As of press time, the presidency has not issued an official statement addressing the video or the claims surrounding it.