The Lagos State Government has officially debunked a media report claiming that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was directed to step down from his position due to health challenges.
In a strongly worded rebuttal issued late Monday, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, labeled the publication as “entirely false” and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
The administration addressed the report—which suggested the Deputy Governor was preparing to take over—by emphasizing that no such order exists.
“We have noted with concern a false report by Sahara Reporters alleging that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been ‘ordered to resign on health grounds’ with the Deputy Governor set to take over. This report is false in its entirety,” Akosile stated.
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He further clarified that no authority has requested the Governor’s exit, describing the claim as part of a recurring trend of misinformation:“Nobody has asked the Lagos Governor to resign—this is another fake news, which has become a pattern of Sahara Reporters.”
Reassuring the residents of Lagos, the state government insisted that Governor Sanwo-Olu is in excellent condition and is actively managing the affairs of the state.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu remains in good health, of sound mind, and is actively discharging his duties as Governor of Lagos State,” the statement read.
Providing context to recent activities at the Government House, Akosile revealed that the Governor and Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, met on Monday for a very different reason.
During a courtesy visit, Hamzat formally notified Sanwo-Olu of his plan to run for the governorship in the 2027 elections.
“Earlier today, the Governor received Deputy Governor Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, who paid him a courtesy visit to formally notify him of his intention to contest for Governor. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, as is customary,” Akosile explained.
The media aide concluded by explaining that while the government often ignores baseless claims, this clarification was necessary to protect “Lagosians” from deliberate falsehoods.
“While Sahara Reporters has a track record of publishing disinformation, we are issuing this clarification to prevent the public from being misled by deliberate falsehoods. We would ordinarily ignore such baseless reports, but the need to reassure Lagosians makes this response necessary,” he added.
The public has been urged to disregard the resignation story and treat it as fake news.
