Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to rein in on his family over an alleged attempt by his son, Seyi to influence the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Through a statement issued by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Friday, Atiku cautioned that Nigeria should not be treated as a personal property.
On Wednesday, Atiku Isah, who claimed to be the NANS President, alleged that the President’s son and the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, had offered him a ₦100 million bribe in Lagos to promote President Tinubu’s image.
Isah claimed that he rejected the offer, citing the administration’s alleged underperformance.
He also claimed that his life was threatened by individuals allegedly loyal to Tinubu.
But in a statement posted via his Instagram account on Friday, Seyi Tinubu refuted the accusations made by Isah, describing them as false and defamatory.
Reacting to the controversy, Atiku said it is intolerable that the first family would seek to subjugate the NANS or any civil society group through threats, bribes, or brute force.
The statement reads, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must urgently rein in his family members, particularly his son, Seyi Tinubu, who appears determined to purchase political loyalty for his father by any means necessary, including coercion, violence, and intimidation.
“The serious allegations made by the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Isah — alleging physical assault, abduction, and inducement at the hands of Seyi Tinubu — are deeply alarming and strike at the core of democratic norms and civil liberty.
“That such grave accusations are being levelled against a member of the first family is both disturbing and dangerous. Had this incident ended fatally, it would have been recorded among the growing list of atrocities committed by criminal elements in the country.
“That it is allegedly tied to the President’s own son makes it even more horrifying. What’s worse is the emerging suggestion that even top security officials are not beyond Seyi Tinubu’s overreaching influence — an unacceptable compromise of state institutions.
“It is intolerable that the first family would seek to subjugate the NANS — or any civil society group — through threats, bribes, or brute force. Nigeria is a democratic republic, not a monarchy handed down to one family.
“Well-meaning Nigerians must rise to speak out. The actions of the President’s family — specifically their rabid drive to consolidate political power through manipulation and fear — must be condemned unequivocally.
“We must remind them that the presidency is a public trust, not a private inheritance. Attempts to drag former Vice President Atiku Abubakar into this scandal by alleging a political alliance with Comrade Isah are baseless, malicious, and desperate.
“Atiku Abubakar’s meeting with Isah was centered solely on education reform and improving student welfare, which also includes institutions he founded, like the American University of Nigeria and AUN Academy.
“Comrade Isah’s advocacy and public stance must be evaluated based on fact, not fiction. The allegations of abuse he has made demand an independent investigation, especially since the very agencies meant to protect citizens appear complicit in his ordeal.
“We issue a clear warning: nothing must happen to this young man. Any harm to him will not go unnoticed or unchallenged. Nigerians deserve truth, accountability, and a leadership that respects the rule of law — not a regime that weaponizes power to silence dissent.
“Atiku Abubakar remains firmly committed to the principles of democracy, rule of law, and the use of education as a cornerstone for national progress and development. He will not be distracted by false narratives or cowardly intimidation.”
