Why Tinubu Was Absent At Lagos Project Commissioning As Akpabio Steps In

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday represented President Bola Tinubu to commission key infrastructure projects in Lagos.

Akpabio inaugurated the Ojota–Opebi Link Bridge, the Lagos State Geographic Information Service (LAGIS) building, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administrative Complex.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a statement, said the projects are designed to improve transportation, land administration, and public service delivery across the state.
He described the Ojota–Opebi Link Bridge as a major intervention along one of Lagos’ busiest corridors, expected to ease traffic congestion, reduce travel time, and enhance daily commuting.

Sanwo-Olu added that the LAGIS facility would boost efficiency and transparency in land administration by eliminating manual processes, while the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administrative Complex would centralise government services, improve coordination, and provide a better working environment for public servants.

“With just over 400 days left in this administration, we remain focused on making every day count,” the statement reads.

“Out of the 2,922 days Lagosians entrusted to us, we have spent more than 2,500 working to leave Lagos better than we met it.”

The governor also appreciated engineers, contractors, and public officials involved in the projects, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to improving residents’ quality of life.

Why Tinubu Prioritised Security Over Public Engagement In Lagos

The presidency has clarified that
President Tinubu, though present in Lagos, could not personally attend the commissioning due to pressing national security responsibilities.

Speaking on Channels Television, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, confirmed that the president has been preoccupied with high-level security briefings.

“President Tinubu is in Lagos. Beyond the pictures, the president has been very busy with state matters,” Dare said.

“In the last 10 days, right from the developments in Jos, the president has been busy taking constant briefs, and he has to prioritise when it comes to state matters, especially security.

“He is in Lagos monitoring the development, working with the intelligence community, and taking constant security briefs.”

The president had recently returned to Lagos after visits to Plateau and Ogun states, where he attended to security concerns and inaugurated major projects, including the Gateway Cargo Airport.

Akpabio Leads Project Inaugurations In Tinubu’s Absence

Representing the president, Akpabio commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his administration’s discipline and focus on delivering impactful projects.
“You have shown that governance must be about service delivery,” he said.

He added: “These projects align with our national vision. A Nigeria that is modern, digitally enabled and economically strong. This is the standard we must replicate across the country from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his administration.”
The projects commissioned include the Ojota–Opebi Link Bridge, the LAGIS building, and the Lagos State Multi-Agency Building.

In his remarks, Sanwo-Olu reiterated his administration’s commitment to intensifying infrastructure development and institutional strengthening as his tenure winds down.

“As we commission these projects, we are also mindful that there are still more to be done. In the 400-plus days that lie ahead of our administration, we will double down on our investment in infrastructure, the strengthening of our institutions, and intentional improvements in the quality of life for all Lagosians.

“For us, finishing only makes sense if it is done well. Winding down is not an excuse to slow down or succumb to lower standards. On the contrary, it is meant to be an opportunity to ramp up momentum and to rev the engine energetically towards the finish line.

“I am indeed proud of all that we have been able to achieve over the last seven years, under the reform umbrella of our THEMES+ vision. I am especially grateful for the President’s immense and unwavering support for Lagos State, which has made a tremendous difference in the outcomes we have been able to deliver. Lagos has, like every other state in Nigeria, benefited from significant increases in the revenues accruing to us, and this has enabled us to become more ambitious in our approach, tackling larger goals and targets in the service of our people.

“Our administration in Lagos State has just a little over 400 days left 416 to be precise before we hand over the baton of governance, out of the 2,922 days that the good people of Lagos entrusted to us.

For the past 2,500 days, we have worked and toiled for Lagos State, to leave it better than we met it and have done so by looking up to the excellent model and legacy of a leader who discharged a similar responsibility long before us, and set defining standards that have stood the test of time.”