Politics
Fact Check: No, Tinubu Didn’t Order Sanwo-Olu To Resign
By Joseph Sunday
Fact Check: No, Tinubu Didn’t Order Sanwo-Olu to Resign — that was the reality in late April 2026, even as Lagos WhatsApp groups and Facebook feeds lit up. A bold graphic made the rounds: “LAGOS GOVERNOR SANWO-OLU ORDERED TO RESIGN ON HEALTH GROUNDS, DEPUTY TO TAKE OVER”. The stamp of Sahara Reporters gave it weight for some. Within hours, #SanwoOluResign was trending in Lagos, NG.
But the paper trail told a different story.
No statement came from Aso Rock. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation was silent.
The Lagos State Government called it “unfounded speculation” — the same phrase they’d used to swat down rumors of a Tinubu-Sanwo-Olu rift since June 2025, when Tinubu publicly told party stakeholders, “All is forgiven.”
So where did the “order” come from? Commenters under the viral post had the answer: “Biggest fake news,” one wrote. “Who gave the order? Nobody.” The graphic had no source, no date, no signature. It was classic Nigerian political rumor-mill — a mix of half-remembered facts and wishful commentary.
There was a real order from President Bola Tinubu in March 2026. It set a March 31, 2026 deadline for political appointees — ministers, advisers, DGs — to resign if they planned to run in 2027. Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires it.
But Babajide Sanwo-Olu isn’t an appointee. He’s an elected governor with a mandate until May 29, 2027. The rule doesn’t touch him.
As of April 28, 2026, he’s still in Alausa. No resignation letter. No deputy sworn in. No health statement from the governor’s office. Just an unverified graphic, amplified by speculation about “the game Bola and Seyi are playing” — and then debunked by the absence of facts. The “order” was never given. The directive was misapplied. And the story, once again, shows how fast social media can turn a general policy into a personal verdict.