A footage released by the AIT News displayed the moment Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III – snubbed the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwolu at a conference.
The incident according to AIT News happened during the 2020 Leadership Conference and Award – held on 9th of September, 2021 – at the event, Sultan of Sokoto was seen exchanging pleasantries with dignitaries and the Vice President Yemi Osibanjo.
When the Sultan of Sokoto reaches to the turn of the Governor Sanwolu, he refused to exchange a pleasantry with the governor, despite Governor Babajide Sanwolu stretching out his fist (which has been the normal greetings since the Coronavirus Pandemic).
The video has elicited reactions online, as many gave it a different interpretations.
Sharing the video on Twitter, @firstladyship tweet; “Is this Nigerian culture or did the Sultan of Sokoto snub Governor Sanwolu?
@RealOlaudah opined that maybe the governor has denied the Sultan a favour, hence the snubbing; He tweets; “Very likely. It’s a common behavioral pattern of the Nigerian elite. A favor must’ve been denied or delayed to him who looks upon himself as the King of Nigeria. Motivation? Feeling of entitlement.”
@AwaluLadidi says there is nothing wrong with the video, according to twitter user, the Sultan didn’t see the governors fist, hence shouldn’t be described as snubbing. – “The Governor was talking to the Sultan,he was saying something to him and it was more like he was saying it to his ears, the Sultan wasn’t looking down so he didn’t see his hand or the greeting. The Sultan’s eyes was fixed on the Governor”
A supposed Northerner @__usyy defended the Sultan’s snubbing of the Governor. He said in the Northern elites are not used to such greetings.
“If you are well acquainted with traditional etiquettes of greeting Royals using fist in northern Nigeria you’d know that even Sanwo-Olu was not trying to stretch his hands to shake Sultan, he was just using his fist to honour him. Nothing like snubbing him here.”
@Isidore0001 think the Sultan snubbed Governor Sanwolu because he signed signed into law the State Value Added Tax, VAT Bill. “He snubbed him. Why will Sanwolu sign VAT law. He wants to cripple the caliphate?. Can’t be shaking hands with a man that wants to take food from my table with smiling eyes. The Caliphate unlike some people I know, don’t hide their feelings. If you are against them, they show it not mincing words”.
Watch the video below.
Vanguard reports that on Thursday, September, 9th, 2021, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, passed the VAT Bill, 2021 to Mr. Governor for assent into law.
The Governor, shortly after returning from an official trip to Abuja on Friday, – signed the “bill for a law to impose and charge VAT on certain goods and services” at about 11. 45am, at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
By this act, the Bill has now become a Law.
