The bond within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State appears to be strengthening, as evidenced by the recent warm interaction between Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his immediate predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
In a rare and heartwarming moment, the two leaders exchanged genuine smiles after a meeting on Monday.
“Today, I welcomed my brother and predecessor, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, back to Lagos House on a courtesy visit,” a delighted Sanwo-Olu captioned photos of their meeting on social media.
“Our discussion focused on the future of Lagos and building upon the strong foundation already in place. I appreciate his insights as we continue to work together to ensure Lagos stays on the path of growth and development.”
This meeting took place over a year after Sanwo-Olu and Ambode were last seen together in public at a reception for President Bola Tinubu at Lagos House in Marina in June 2023.
It marked the first time in over four years that Sanwo-Olu, Ambode, and another former Lagos governor, Babatunde Fashola, had been seen together since internal conflicts affected the state’s ruling political class.
How It All Began
Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, Ambode remains the only former governor of Lagos State who served just one term. Tinubu governed from 1999 to 2007, after which Fashola took over and served from 2007 to 2015, later becoming Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing from 2015 to 2023.
Ambode succeeded Fashola in 2015 but lost his bid for re-election during the 2019 APC primary due to internal party disputes. Reports suggested that APC leader in Lagos, Tinubu, supported the current governor, Sanwo-Olu, over Ambode.
Since completing his term in 2019, Ambode has not been seen at political or social events alongside his predecessors, Tinubu and Fashola, nor with the current governor. He has also maintained a low profile during rare appearances at national APC events, such as in May 2021 when he was named the deputy chairman of the South-West sub-committee of the party’s Contact and Strategy Committee.
There were rumors that Ambode might challenge Sanwo-Olu for the party’s governorship ticket in the May 2022 primary. However, instead of Ambode, his ally Wale Oluwo entered the race but was defeated by Sanwo-Olu.
Unlike Fashola and Sanwo-Olu, Ambode did not publicly endorse Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign and remained silent after Tinubu’s victory. Signs of reconciliation emerged when Sanwo-Olu attended Ambode’s 60th birthday celebration in Lagos on June 14, 2023.