Secondary school student push Sanwo-Olu aside, reigns for one day

The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday was made to step down from his job, yielding his seat to one-day Governor Miss Esther Etiyemonu.

Miss Etiyemonu, 14, a Senior Secondary School II (SSS 2) pupil of Lagos State Senior Model College in Igbookuta, Imota, Ikorodu Division, emerged the overall winner of the 2025/2026 Spelling Bee Competition conducted for all eligible public secondary schools in Lagos.

The One-Day Governor was received by Sanwo-Olu at the State House in Marina in company with her two ‘cabinet’ members; one-day Deputy Governor, Miss Dorcas Awoyemi (a pupil of Ikosi Senior High School) and One-Day Secretary to the State Government, Miss Salami Jumain Olaide (a pupil of Angus Memorial Senior High School, Morocco Road, Yaba.

The pupils were accompanied by their parents and their teachers.

Miss Etiyemonu, who won the 21st edition of the competition, presided over a short meeting of the State’s cabinet.

The One-Day Governor said the initiative had continued to nurture academic excellence and leadership among pupils in Lagos State’s public schools, describing it as a “worthy education legacy”.

Miss Etiyemonu delved into governance matters, commending Sanwo-Olu for what she described as “remarkable transformation” across key sectors, noting that the governor’s development programme had positively impacted the lives of Lagosians.

She said, “In education, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s achievements are highly commendable. We have seen improvement in the quality of education through the reforms initiated by the current administration, including the recruitment of teachers, establishment of technical colleges, provision of digital skills training, upgrading of tertiary institutions, staff housing development, and renovation of public secondary school libraries.

“In the area of transportation, the reconstruction of roads, including the Gberigbe axis en route Ikorodu, has significantly improved accessibility. The Lagos Rail Mass Transit projects, comprising the Red and Blue Lines, have enhanced mobility and efficiency within the State. This administration’s security initiatives have contributed to improved safety and stability across Lagos.”

Responding, Sanwo-Olu said the emergence of One-Day Governor from Lagos State Senior Model College had further justified his administration’s education investment in the state-owned model colleges, noting that Miss Etiyemonu’s school was one of the beneficiaries of his education interventions.

Sanwo-Olu said, “You are a testament of the quality of education we are providing in our public schools. You are an embodiment of excellence and quality of students coming out of our public schools. This goes to show our investment in education has not gone down the drain. Year on year, we have seen improvements in success rate of schools in external exams, such as WASSCE and NECO. This goes to justify our continued intervention in improving the physical environment and ambience in which you learn.”

Sanwo-Olu said the Spelling Bee Competition has become a worthy legacy bequeathed to Lagos by the Nigeria First Lady, Remi Tinubu, pledging to ensure continued support for the initiative.