For the second day running, President Bola Tinubu was once again absent in Lagos as Senate President Godswill Akpabio stepped in to commission a series of landmark projects on behalf of the Presidency.
In the latest commissioning which took place on Thursday, April 9, 2026, the President was absent sparking speculations.
The senate president, alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other top officials, commissioned the newly regenerated and full upgrade of the Tolu Schools Complex, comprising of 36 schools, alongside 19 Mini football pitches, Olodi-Apapa, Ajegunle in the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State.
TheMatrix Newspaper reports that Tinubu, who is currently in Lagos, was also absent at the first day of the two-day event after several preparations for his presence, including diversion of traffic, which led to hours of gridlock in Ikeja, Maryland, Ojota, and other parts of the state.
According, Sunday Dare, special adviser to the president on media and public communication, Tinubu missed the event because he prioritised security matters.
“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,” Dare said during his appearance on Channels Television on Wednesday evening.
“He is in Lagos monitoring the development, working with the intelligence community, and taking constant security briefs.”
Representing the president at the first day of the event on Wednesday, Akpabio inaugurated the Opebi-Mende-Ojota Link Bridge, the Lagos State Multi-agency Complex, Alausa, now known as Bola Ahmed Administrative Complex (BATAC), and the Lagos Geographic Information Service (LAGIS) Office, Alausa Ikeja.
According to Gawat Jubril, senior special assistant on new media Sanwo-Olu, the Tolu Schools Complex commissioned on Thursday has now “received a comprehensive regeneration designed to restore dignity and excellence to this historic site, with other major facilities like: 12 New Classroom Blocks: Each block contains 18 classrooms, a four-story vocational and skills acquisition center, a fully functional Fire Service Station, an ICT Complex, a standard AstroTurf football pitch, a Primary Healthcare Facility (PHC), track for athletics, multipurpose courts, and spectator bleachers. Provisions have also been made for field events such as javelin, long jump, and high jump.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who hosted the events, described the projects as transformative for Lagos, noting that they would ease traffic congestion, improve land administration, and strengthen public service delivery. Akpabio, representing Tinubu, praised the initiatives and urged Lagosians to safeguard the facilities, stressing their importance to Nigeria’s commercial capital.
“Today, we commissioned the fully regenerated Tolu Schools Complex in Ajegunle, alongside other key projects led by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who represented His Excellency President Bola Tinubu.
“We have transformed a cluster of 36 public schools into a functional and dignified learning environment. With new classroom blocks, rehabilitated buildings, a vocational centre, science laboratories, and an ICT hub, we have addressed overcrowding and improved the overall learning experience.
“This complex has a long history, dating back to 1981, and has served generations of students. Over time, it became overstretched. We made a deliberate decision to change that and give it a new lease of life. It was encouraging to see the excitement on the faces of the students today.
“The joy and excitement is the reason why we do the work we do. Every child in Ajeromi-Ifelodun deserves a safe, modern, and inspiring place to learn” he wrote on his X page.
