It is unfortunate that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has decided to drag the name of an innocent and industrious young man, Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, into his ever increasingly desperate politics occasioned by his serial losses in his bid to become Nigeria’s President.
To Atiku, Seyi’s crime now is that he has been on the board since 2018 of a company owned by the Chagoury family that won the bid of a portion of the transformational Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project. As Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu has rightly said, Seyi cannot be denied his right to chart his own path in life all because he is the President’s son.
Seyi is an adult, 38 years old. Those who know him readily acknowledge that he is respectful and restrained, a true Omoluabi. He is a qualified lawyer who, through hard work and dynamism is establishing himself as a frontline accomplished businessman. His business interests as an innovator in several aspects of outdoor advertising, for instance, justified his presence at the last Climate Change summit, which some ignorantly criticized. Seyi was with his father throughout the last campaigns both within and outside the country.
On his own, he created a platform that played a significant role in mobilizing youth support for Tinubu’s candidacy. It is certainly no crime for him to be interested in and working in his own way at ensuring its success.
Every administration has its style. Donald Trump gave his daughter and son-in-law prominent roles to play in his White House. President Bill Clinton tapped his wife, Hillary’s cerebral resources to formulate and push his ambitious healthcare plan. President Kennedy appointed his brother as Attorney-General. Many children born into high profile political families understandably develop an interest in public life and service. It is well within their rights. Seyi Tinubu surely has committed no crime. His critics should let him be.
•Written by Omobola Samuel
