Why Sanwo-Olu may not get a second term in 2023

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, may not succeed if he tries to vie for a second term as a governor at the Gubernatorial elections coming up in 2023.

Sanwo-Olu was elected in 2019 after the then governor of the state, Ambode, reportedly fell out with Bola Tinubu. But as his tenure is running to an end in 2023, it is argued here that he may not return as the state’s governor due to the following reasons.

Religion
Some reports have stated that Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is a Christian, may not be elected for a second term in order to enable the Muslims take their turn in ruling the state.
With Lagos State being a well populated state with the majority of its population being either Christians or Muslims, it is presumed that people from both religions should be be given an opportunity to rule the state.

Accordingly, the argument is that since the previous governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who is a Christian, had already served a single term of 4 years, Sanwo-Olu should then complete the tenure and give way to a Muslim to take over.

This means that both Sanwo-Olu and Ambode would have combined to complete the 8th-year tenure of Christians in the state and as such, the next governor of the state should be a Muslim.

Political Precedents in the State
Some political precedents in Lagos State show that a second term for a governor of the state, like Sanwo-Olu, is not always secured.

This can be seen in the way the former governor of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, allegedly fell out with the APC National leader, Bola Tinubu, and was consequently voted out of office.

The situation shows that the position is not secured, as Sanwo-Olu can fall out with the National Leader or with the masses, and lose re-election and subsequently not be returned for a second term.