Tinubu and Oba Akiolu at the palace in Lagos
The president‑elect, Bola Tinubu, breezed into Lagos on Sunday, where he was received by a mammoth crowd of supporters and party members after his private jet landed at the presidential wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja. The development comes five days after the former Lagos State governor was announced as the winner of the contentious presidential poll held on February 25. Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes, defeating his closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (6,984,520 votes) and Labour Party flag‑bearer Peter Obi (6,101,533 votes).
Tinubu was received at the airport by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu, Chief of Staff Tayo Ayinde, former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, former Commissioner for Environment Muiz Banire, and state women’s leader Jumoke Okoya‑Thomas. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the president‑elect’s media adviser, Tunde Rahman. Rahman said that shortly after his arrival, the delegation proceeded to the Iga‑Iduganran palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, where the monarch and traditional white‑cap chiefs were waiting.
Addressing the modest crowd gathered inside the palace, Tinubu reassured Nigerians that he would not disappoint them. He pledged to work assiduously for Nigeria from the outset, thanking God and the people for his eventual victory and likening the primaries and election to a World Cup tournament—tricky and unpredictable. Reacting to his homecoming, Akiolu described the president‑elect as a “special breed” destined for leadership at the very top. Also present were the monarch of Ikate‑Elegushi Kingdom, Oba Saheed Elegushi, and the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal.
Meanwhile, the non‑denominational Christian Conscience Group has urged the president‑elect to address the sufferings of Nigerians as soon as he is sworn in. In a statement titled “Be A Father Of All, Group Tasks Asiwaju,” signed by National Publicity Secretary Tunji Oguntuase, the group listed security, basic infrastructure, food and jobs for youths as priority areas. It added: “Don’t be a winner‑takes‑all President, but form a government of inclusiveness where Nigerians will have a sense of belonging.”
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