THIRD MAINLAND NEAR CRASH: ‘TINUBU ASKED ME TO DRIVE AFTER DRIVER FELL ASLEEP’

Former presidential aide and journalist, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has recalled a dramatic incident in which he and President Bola Tinubu narrowly escaped death after their vehicle struck the railing of Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge.

Ojudu recounted the incident in an open letter to Tinubu, reflecting on their long political relationship and his reasons for continuing to offer the President critical advice.

According to Ojudu, the incident occurred at about 1:30am shortly before Tinubu became governor of Lagos State. He said they were returning from the Ikoyi residence of a senior security official, Ibrahim Solomon, whom they had visited over concerns surrounding possible electoral manipulation.

Ojudu said Tinubu’s driver, the late Mustapha, fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle hit the bridge railing. “We were fortunate to escape with our lives,” Ojudu recalled.

OJUDU TAKES THE WHEEL

The story took another dramatic turn after the crash. Ojudu said Tinubu asked him to drive the vehicle to Alausa. The problem, according to Ojudu, was that he had never driven an automatic vehicle before. He nevertheless took control of the car and eventually got them to their destination.

“Somehow, I got us there,” he recalled.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Ojudu used the incident not simply as an old personal anecdote but as evidence of the long relationship between the two men.

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He traced their relationship to the pro-democracy struggle against military rule and Tinubu’s campaign for the Lagos governorship.

A FRIENDSHIP THAT BECAME COMPLICATED

Ojudu said he later declined a formal appointment in the Lagos State Government because he wanted to preserve his independence as a journalist.

He also acknowledged that their relationship has become strained. According to Ojudu, he has not seen Tinubu since 2022 and did not support or vote for him in the 2023 presidential election.

His open letter therefore combined personal history with criticism of current government policies. The recollection comes at a politically sensitive moment, as public debate over Tinubu’s economic policies intensifies ahead of the 2027 elections.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the crash itself is presented in Ojudu’s account as a personal recollection. Its wider political significance lies in how he uses the story to explain the unusual depth and evolution of his relationship with Tinubu.

The episode also illustrates how political relationships can survive decades of alliance, disagreement and changing circumstances. Personal history may explain political access, but it does not remove the need for independent scrutiny.