EXCLUSIVE: Lagos Governor Sanwo-Olu Ordered To Resign On Health Grounds, Deputy To Take Over

The arrangement, if carried through, would not only see Hamzat finish the current term but also position him as a frontrunner for a fresh four-year mandate in the 2027 elections. 

Lagos State is bracing for a major political shake-up as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reportedly been asked to resign on health grounds, paving the way for his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, to assume office and complete the remainder of the administration’s tenure. 

According to sources within the presidency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and key members of his inner circle are said to be dissatisfied with the current leadership in Lagos and have moved to initiate a transition plan.

The arrangement, if carried through, would not only see Hamzat finish the current term but also position him as a frontrunner for a fresh four-year mandate in the 2027 elections. 

“The Presidency, President Bola Tinubu and key figures in his inner circle are reportedly dissatisfied with the current leadership in Lagos and have moved to initiate a transition plan,” a top source in the Presidency said.

“The emerging arrangement would see Sanwo-Olu resign, paving the way for his deputy to assume office and complete the remainder of the tenure.”

While no official statement has been released, the development underscores intensifying political recalibration within Lagos, widely regarded as Tinubu’s most strategic stronghold.

If carried through, the move would represent one of the most consequential leadership changes in the state in recent years, with far-reaching implications for party dynamics, governance continuity, and the broader electoral outlook ahead of 2027. 

Political tensions have reportedly deepened in recent weeks. Governor Sanwo-Olu has been accused within party circles of insubordination, including alleged attempts to consolidate independent political structures in Lagos perceived as a challenge to Tinubu’s influence.

He has also been linked to efforts to unseat the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, as well as disputes over control of strategic land assets. 

In March 2025, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that President Tinubu intervened to facilitate the reinstatement of Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly following his impeachment.

The intervention, according to sources, came after the President identified what he perceived as the influence of the state executive, led by Governor Sanwo-Olu, in the circumstances surrounding Obasa’s removal.

Sources present at a meeting Tinubu held with state lawmakers at the time said the President expressed concern over the extent of the governor’s influence, describing it as troubling and suggesting that Sanwo-Olu had a vested interest in determining the Assembly’s leadership.

The meeting, SaharaReporters learned, was convened to address the leadership crisis within the Lagos State House of Assembly.

“At the meeting, President Tinubu explained that the reason why Obasa escaped the impeachment was because he saw the indelible fingerprints of the Lagos executive led by Sanwo-Olu in the Speaker’s removal, and he found it unsettling why the executive would be interested in who should emerge as the Speaker,” a source familiar with the events at the meeting stated.

The high-stakes meeting followed Tinubu’s decision to arrange a chartered flight to transport all Lagos Assembly members to Abuja in a bid to resolve the political crisis.

The crisis, which erupted after the impeachment of Obasa on January 13, 2025 over allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement, rocked Lagos politics.

Lawmakers had initially celebrated his removal as a victory for accountability, but behind-the-scenes pressure from APC leaders, backed by Tinubu, led to his controversial reinstatement.

Mojisola Meranda, who was briefly installed as Speaker following Obasa’s ouster, was forced to step down under pressure from party bigwigs, reportedly as part of a deal to maintain party unity.

Another development that reportedly strained the relationship between President Tinubu and his political protégé, Governor Sanwo-Olu, arose when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, an associate of the Lagos governor, wanted over allegations of money laundering and criminal conspiracy.

Achimugu, who was accused of secretly funnelling funds to opposition leaders Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 elections, was officially declared wanted in a circular issued by the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC, in a statement, called on the public to provide information about her whereabouts, listing her last known address as 6C, Rudolf Close, Maitama, Abuja.

The circular, signed by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated: “The public is hereby notified that AISHA SULAIMAN ACHIMUGU, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Criminal Conspiracy and Money Laundering.

This development followed an exclusive report by Peoples Gazette, which revealed that President Tinubu was “furious and felt betrayed” after receiving intelligence that funds linked to Sanwo-Olu’s ally, Achimugu, had made their way to Obi and Atiku.

The report suggested that Tinubu viewed the situation as a serious act of political betrayal.

A top government official told Peoples Gazette: “The president was furious and felt betrayed when he was informed that this actually happened. He has absorbed deceptive political tactics all his life, but he was uncharacteristically hurt by this one.”

Security sources investigating Achimugu’s financial activities allegedly traced large sums to both Obi and Atiku after the 2023 elections, raising questions about Sanwo-Olu’s political allegiance.

The Gazette further reported that the funds might have been distributed as part of a compromise to secure Sanwo-Olu’s re-election after Tinubu’s shock loss in Lagos during the presidential polls.

Analysts suggested that the EFCC’s sudden interest in Achimugu was a sign that the presidency might be preparing to cut ties with the Lagos governor.

Reacting to the allegations, former Vice President Atiku vehemently denied ever receiving funds from Sanwo-Olu, calling the claims “a blatant lie from the pit of hell.”

In June 2025, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that President Tinubu expressed strong displeasure with Governor Sanwo-Olu over the alleged illegal allocation of 96 hectares of land in Banana Island to developers.

Sources familiar with the matter claimed that part of the disputed land was believed to be linked to Tinubu, and its alleged sale by the Lagos State Government further heightened tensions between the President and the governor.

“Tinubu got upset with Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over illegal land allocation at Banana Island, where they allocated 96 hectares to developers linked to them. Sanwo-Olu, they reported, also sold Tinubu’s land at Banana Island,” one of the sources said.

Earlier in May, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that federal investigators had uncovered what appeared to be one of the largest land racketeering and money laundering schemes involving the Lagos State Government and certain federal officials.

The revelation prompted an official probe into the extensive fraud.

SaharaReporters obtained a document showing that the EFCC, in a letter dated May 16, 2025, formally requested detailed records from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development regarding questionable land allocations to 14 companies across prime areas in Lagos, including Banana Island, Lekki, Osborne Foreshore, and Lagos Lagoon.

The letter, signed by the Acting Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Ahmed Ghali, and marked CR:3000/EFCC/LS.2/ADM/KOO/VOL.2/491, specifically requested the then-Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, to provide Certified True Copies (CTC) of development permits, certificates of occupancy, equity structures, revenue-sharing agreements tied to these land allocations, amongst other details.

The letter noted that the commission was investigating an “alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering”.

The agency requested to be furnished with Certified True Copies (CTC) of specific documents to aid its investigation. These included confirmation on whether any of the listed companies were granted Development Permits for the shoreline, as well as copies of all relevant Development Permits or Certifications, Certificates of Occupancy (C of O), and title documents for the allocated shoreline.

The issue prompted Tinubu to order the immediate revocation of approvals and licenses granted for unauthorised islands and developments on federal road setbacks and infrastructure corridors in Lagos.

The President made this announcement during the official commissioning of the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road on June 5, 2025.