LAGOS: Agege-Pen Cinema Bridge was at 20% completion when I took over as governor, says Sanwo-Olu

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the Agege-Pen Cinema Bridge was at 20% completion when he took the reins of power from his predecessor, Akinwumi Ambode in 2019.

The governor revealed this on his official Twitter handle yesterday.

Though Sanwo-Olu did not say this in his message, he may have made the disclosure to counter the narrative in the public, particularly from Ambode’s loyalists,  that the bridge was near completion when he took over from his predecessor.

Things fell apart between Ambode and his political godfather, Bola Tinubu, in the buildup to the 2019 general election and the aborted Third Republic senator refused to throw his weight behind Ambode’s re-election bid.

Ambode did not eventually win the primary election and lost his re-election bid; a development that made him the first governor in Lagos State not to serve a second term in office since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

Sanwo-Olu’s predecessor has gone into political oblivion ever since he handed over the reins of power to him;  Ambode  has  not also been seen at any state function with Sanwo-Olu or Tinubu since he exited government in May 2019.

Speaking at the the inauguration of  the 1.4 kilometre-long Agege-Pen Cinema bridge yesterday, Tinubu hinted at why he did not give Ambode his blessing for a second term in office.

Though he did not mention his former governor’s name, Tinubu said the ship of state was adrift between 2017 and 2018 and the party leadership had to steady it by changing the ship’s captain.

But speaking on the project  via his verified handle Twitter handle Sanwo-Olu wrote, “In line with our Strategic Transport Master Plan, I commissioned (sic) the 1.4 km dual carriage Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge and Ramp with 5 adjoining network of roads today.

“It was great to stand before Lagosians to celebrate the delivery of this landmark project, which reflects our administration’s belief in the principle of continuity in governance.

“When our administration was inaugurated, this project was at about 20% completion stage.

“With the delivery of this bridge, which is complemented with traffic signalisation and drainage channels, we have resolved the perennial traffic arising from huge human and vehicular movement from Agege-Pen Cinema Intersection towards Abule Egba, Fagba, Oke Koto and Iyana Ipaja.”