Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has issued a stern warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to call his family — particularly his son, Seyi Tinubu — to order over alleged interference in student union politics.
In a statement released Friday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku described recent allegations involving Seyi Tinubu and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as an “attack on democracy and civil liberties,” declaring that Nigeria must not be run like a family-owned estate.
The controversy erupted after Comrade Atiku Isah, a factional NANS president, alleged during a press briefing that Seyi Tinubu attempted to bribe him with N100 million in Lagos to endorse President Tinubu. Isah claimed he rejected the offer and was later abducted and assaulted by thugs on April 15.
“I could not endorse a president who had failed to deliver on his campaign promises,” Isah said, recounting how he was allegedly stripped and brutalized for refusing the bribe.
Seyi Tinubu has denied the accusations, insisting he has never met Isah and accusing him of fabricating the story to tarnish his image.
Atiku responded with outrage, saying:
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must urgently rein in his family members, particularly his son, who appears determined to purchase political loyalty for his father by any means — including coercion, violence, and intimidation.”
He further described the situation as “deeply alarming,” adding that the notion of a presidential family member allegedly influencing security agencies was both “disturbing and dangerous.”
“Had this incident ended fatally, it would have added to the growing list of atrocities committed by criminal elements,” he said. “That it is allegedly linked to the President’s own son makes it even more horrifying.”
Atiku also rejected attempts to associate him politically with Comrade Isah, noting that their only meeting centered on discussions around education reform.
“Any harm to this young man will not go unnoticed or unchallenged. Nigerians deserve leadership that upholds rule of law — not one that weaponises power to silence dissent,” he added, calling for an independent investigation into the incident.
As public scrutiny of the Tinubu administration intensifies, this development raises serious concerns about the independence of student movements, freedom of expression, and the overreach of power in Nigeria’s democratic space.
