A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSO), the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), Wednesday, condemned the incessant attacks on Seyi Tinubu, the first son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by some Nigerians.
The coalition in a statement jointly issued by its Executive Director, Comrade Blessing Akinlosotu, and the Deputy Executive Director, Southern Nigeria, Comrade Olayemi Success, described the attacks as unnecessary distractions from critical issues of national development.
The group also frowned at how some persons have continuously misinterpreted and wrongly portrayed what should naturally have been credited and commendable gesture of Tinubu as a responsible parent and family-minded father, in a very bad light.
“The leadership of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria can readily attest to the consistency and commitment of the family of President Tinubu to the political aspirations of the family head that has contributed immensely to the successes experienced by the President, even in difficult years in the trenches of NADECO struggle for democratic emancipation of Nigeria.
“Without the resilience and support from the family line, President Tinubu would have been history by now, hence, the love, passion, and uncompromising bond of partnership existing between the Tinubu’s till date, which is a plus and not minus to a prominent leader of that calibre.
“The solidarity and support have shown to his father by Seyi Tinubu, and the reciprocal love by the father President Tinubu to his son, Seyi, should be a source of inspiration and thing of emulation to leaders across the Federation, so long as it does not interfere with or hurt the business of governance.
“Across the globe, great and successful leaders have been seen to showcase the strong bonding existing within their families by publicly presenting spouses and children at necessary occasions and ceremonies with their countries and even in their overseas trips.
“The case of Seyi Tinubu accompanying his father on some overseas trips is not isolated or strange, as we can draw endless lists of great and reputable world leaders like the Bush Family, Mandela Family, the Barack Obama Family, Prince Charles, etc. who are several seen in public and overseas trips with spouses and offspring.
“President Clinton visited Nigeria on an official state visit with his adult daughter, Chelsea, who was the FIRST person he introduced to then-President Obasanjo. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher took her son, Mark Thatcher, to overseas UK Business summits. Sir Mark Thatcher is a businessman, as is Seyi Tinubu. Also, President Obasanjo similarly took his son, Gbenga, on a business summit while he was President. Gbenga is also a legitimate businessman.
“The current U.S. President, Joe Biden, took his son, Hunter Biden, on a business summit in China while he was Vice President. And President Trump even made his daughter and her husband his advisers, who frequently traveled with him to business and political summits. It then becomes worrisome to the Council why the case of Seyi Tinubu has been over-sensationalized in the Nigerian media space”, the coalition stated.
The leadership of NCSCN explained that the trip to Qatar was publicly billed as a business summit, for which Nigerian businesses were meant to collaborate with Qatari companies.
The group said some critics even mocked the Tinubu administration when a letter leaked that the “Business Summit” aspect of the trip had been canceled. Which NCSCN claimed turned out to be a lie.
“It is on record that to the President’s credit, he publicly kicked his son, Seyi Tinubu out of a Federal Executive Council meeting and warned him never to attend again because that was not a business summit. That was a government meeting.
“The Civil Society Council, therefore, earnestly appeals to all Nigerians and those involved in this distractive and retrogressive act to desist from these in order not to detract the government and the citizenry from focusing on crucial issues of National Development.
“The big question to be asked in this matter is if the presence of Seyi Tinubu in the overseas trips of his father, the President, has in any way interfered with the running of the government, negatively affected the purposes of the trip, or usurped the authority of relevant government officials?
“Does the inclusion of Seyi in any way encumber decision-making processes in the trip or governance? The answer, to the best of the Civil Society Council, is a big No”, NCSCN said.
