Backlash Forces NIMC to Delete Birthday Post to Seyi Tinubu

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has deleted a birthday message it posted to Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, following widespread backlash from Nigerians on social media.

The post, which appeared on NIMC’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, was removed hours later after drawing criticism from users who described it as “unprofessional” and “inappropriate” for a government agency.

When FIJ attempted to access the post directly, the platform returned the message, “Hmm…this page doesn’t exist. Try searching for something else,” confirming that it had been deleted.

Nigerians had flooded NIMC’s comment section questioning why a federal agency responsible for national identity management was extending personal birthday wishes on its official platform.

“I know you already know my birthday but let me remind you that it’s 30th of July. In 2026, I expect to get a birthday post from your official handle or I’ll be taking legal redress mechanisms to protest against your organization,” wrote one user, Mercy, a creative writer.

Another user, Princess Valerie, criticized the agency’s priorities, urging it to “fix its servers instead of posting birthday messages.”

The birthday post, which was signed by NIMC’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, appeared to contravene the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) guidelines on official social media use by public institutions.

According to NITDA’s Framework and Guidelines for the Use of Social Media Platforms in Public Institutions, government agencies are prohibited from using their official accounts for personal or non-institutional purposes.

Delete Birthday Post to Seyi Tinubu

Section 3.2 (i) and (ii) of the guidelines specifically state that public institutions must:

“(i) not use personal social media accounts for official engagement;
(ii) not publish personal opinions on official social media accounts.”

Additionally, subsection (iv) requires that all posts on official platforms remain “factual, ethical, respectful, apolitical, impartial, and professional.”

The same section also stipulates that every post by a public institution must align with its core mandate and objectives.

“(vi) represent the PI professionally and ensure that what is published is consistent with relevant policies, standards, executive orders, and circulars related to the mandates of the organisation.”

As of press time, NIMC had not issued an official statement addressing the controversy or explaining why the post was made.