Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu following serious allegations of abduction and assault levelled against his son, Seyi Tinubu — accusations which Seyi’s camp has strongly denied, calling them politically motivated.
The controversy erupted after Atiku Isah, a factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), claimed during a press briefing in Abuja that he was brutalised and abducted on April 15. Isah alleged the incident occurred after he rejected a N100 million bribe purportedly offered by Seyi Tinubu and Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, to secure his support for Tinubu’s administration.
According to Isah, after declining the alleged offer at a meeting in Lagos, he was attacked, stripped, and detained by unknown thugs.
Responding via Instagram Stories, Seyi Tinubu denied ever meeting Isah or being involved in any such incident. He wrote:
“Wow… how can someone lie with so much confidence? An attempt to defame my character. May God be with you, Comrade Atiku Isah.
I have never held a meeting to discuss any subject matter with Comrade Isah in Lagos or anywhere else in the world. I have never knowingly met him before, nor did I visit any location with thugs. All these allegations are completely fictional.”
Presidential aide on Student Affairs and former NANS president, Sunday Asefon, also defended Seyi, accusing Isah of being sponsored by political actors, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, to destabilise Tinubu’s government ahead of the 2027 elections.
Asefon, speaking to Dip Connects Online News, claimed Isah was residing in El-Rufai’s home and had been seen meeting with opposition leaders such as Atiku Abubakar, Omoyele Sowore, and Sule Lamido.
“They now realise that Seyi is a political asset to his father, so they’re trying to pull him down,” Asefon said, insisting the allegations were a smear campaign and asserting that Olusola Oladoja was the recognised NANS president — not Isah.
El-Rufai, reacting on X (formerly Twitter), questioned the lack of official responses, writing:
“What is going on here? Is there a denial by the named culprits or any response from law enforcement agencies or inquiries by human rights organisations? We must ask questions, demand answers and action!! #JusticeforNANSPresident – @elrufai.”
Isah, in response, dismissed claims that he stayed in El-Rufai’s house, stating, “I have not seen El-Rufai in over nine years.
I visited Atiku after several attempts to reach him, and I met Sowore for the first time at a public birthday event. Does that mean I am working for them?”
He maintained that while he supports the President on certain matters, he would not compromise on truth and accountability.
Atiku, via his media adviser Paul Ibe, condemned the alleged intimidation, stating:
“It is intolerable that the first family would seek to subjugate NANS or any civil society group through threats, bribes, or brute force.
The presidency is a public trust, not a private inheritance.”
He also called for an independent investigation and urged Nigerians to defend the right to dissent.
Meanwhile, pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere dismissed the allegations as “salacious, fallacious, and completely unfounded.” In a statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, the group described the claims as a “proxy war” by political opponents lacking the courage to challenge the President directly.
Afenifere further warned student bodies against becoming tools in partisan battles.
ADEOLA KUNLE
