Tinubu’s Lagos return triggers gridlock, leaves motorists, commuters stranded

President Bola Tinubu’s return to Lagos on Tuesday evening triggered heavy traffic around the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and adjoining parts of the city as security operatives restricted movement on roads along his route.

The restrictions began before 5 p.m. and left motorists and commuters stranded for hours, with traffic building up around the airport and routes linking the airport to Lagos Island, Ikoyi and the Third Mainland Bridge.

Mr Tinubu arrived in Lagos from Paris, France, after spending about four weeks in Europe on what the presidency described as a working vacation.

His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced his return earlier on Tuesday.

Mr Onanuga stated that the president chose to return through Lagos to honour the memory of the late Chief MKO Abiola, whom the government recognises as the winner of the annulled 12 June 1993 presidential election.

“On Independence Day, the President will attend the premiere of a movie honouring Abiola, the winner of the June 1993 election, at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

“While in Lagos, President Tinubu will also hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days in preparation for the 2027 elections,” he said.

Lagosians groan

The traffic restrictions drew complaints from motorists and residents who were caught in the gridlock.

A Lagos-based lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, criticised the restrictions in posts on his X handle.

“I just arrived in Lagos and this is the kind of madness that is going on at the Lagos airport,” he said.

“How can the busiest airport in the commercial capital of a country be put on lockdown for hours because an absentee President is on his way back to the country?”

Mr Effiong questioned whether the president’s security could be managed without subjecting other travellers to prolonged delays.

“Why subject citizens and foreigners to this long horrendous treatment when Tinubu’s plane is not even on the ground yet?” he asked.

“Is this the best way to protect him? Is there no better way to manage the presidential movement in this country?”

Other motorists also took to social media to warn people travelling towards the airport.

“Just passed the airport now and apparently Tinubu is coming back and everywhere is blocked. Avoid airport road,” @ama_rachi posted on X.

Another user, @Ghost4570Ghost, criticised the scale of the disruption, writing: “I don’t understand how a whole state movement would be shut down because of the president’s arrival.”

Moses Nwankechukwu recalled a previous traffic incident around the Abuja airport, saying he once had to assist a pregnant woman who became ill after being caught in traffic on the Lugbe airport road.

“Last year in November, that’s how a friend’s wife who was pregnant got sick around 6pm. I was called to help because his car was at the mechanic. Na so I carry a pregnant sick woman to stand there till 9pm,” he wrote.

Some users, however, said traffic restrictions during presidential movements were not unusual.

“Experience Lagos traffic. It’s our lifestyle,” Damola Oladipo wrote.

King Ekem on Facebook also argued that security arrangements for heads of government could involve temporary road closures and traffic restrictions, saying similar measures were used in other countries during the movements of their leaders.

READ ALSO: I’m healthy, ready to work, Tinubu says on return from four-week vacation

Jonathan recalls avoiding Lagos traffic

The disruption has brought back to mind recent comments by former President Goodluck Jonathan about how he handled movement around Lagos while he was president.

The former president spoke on 14 September while he was chairing the 13th Anniversary Olusegun Agagu Memorial Lecture at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event was held in honour of the memory of former Ondo State Governor Agagu, who died on 13 September 2013, aged 65.

In a video shared by Splash FM 105.5, Mr Jonathan recalled during the event that he enjoyed visiting Lagos but disliked the traffic problems that could arise from presidential movements.

He stated that controlling traffic for a presidential convoy could cause significant disruption to other road users, which was why he often used a helicopter after arriving at the Lagos airport.

“Even when I was in office I loved coming to Lagos but I also disliked coming to Lagos. Because if you as a sitting president, come into Lagos and you attempt to control traffic for VIP movement, the kind of chaos you would set up in the city would be so much,” he said.

“So when I land at the airport, I would use a helicopter to fly to the President’s Residence. And if I have a program anywhere in Lagos, I would use a helicopter to land close to that place; I don’t drive.”

Mr Jonathan’s account illustrates the traffic problems that presidential movements can create in Lagos, where road restrictions affecting a presidential convoy can also affect large numbers of other road users.