Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following allegations of abduction and assault levelled against the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu.
The controversy centres around claims made by Atiku Isah, a factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, who accused Seyi Tinubu and Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande of attempting to bribe him with N100 million to secure student endorsement of the Tinubu administration.
At a press conference in Abuja, Isah alleged that after he rejected the offer, he was assaulted and abducted on April 15 by unidentified thugs acting on the orders of the duo. He claimed the incident occurred shortly after a meeting in Lagos, during which the bribe was allegedly offered.
“I was stripped, attacked, and held against my will by thugs,” Isah said, adding that the attack followed his refusal to accept the alleged offer.
However, Seyi Tinubu has firmly denied the allegations. In a statement posted on his Instagram Stories, 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.”
He further clarified: “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.”
In defence of Seyi Tinubu, the Special Assistant to the President on Student Affairs and former NANS President, Sunday Asefon, alleged that Isah was acting as a political proxy for prominent opposition figures, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Asefon claimed, “They have now seen that Seyi is a political asset to his father, so they want to destabilise him.”
He insisted that the accusations were a smear campaign to discredit the President’s family ahead of the 2027 elections and argued that Isah was not the legitimate president of NANS. According to Asefon, the recognised NANS president is Olusola Oladoja.
He also claimed Isah currently resided in El-Rufai’s home and shared photos allegedly showing Isah in meetings with key opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Omoyele Sowore, and Sule Lamido.
Reacting via his X handle, El-Rufai questioned the silence of authorities on the matter. “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,” he posted on Friday.
Isah, however, denied living in El-Rufai’s house and dismissed the allegations as attempts to tarnish his image.
“I have not seen El-Rufai in over nine years,” he said. “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 added that while he may have policy disagreements with President Tinubu, he still supported the administration and would not abandon the principles of truth and accountability.
“I am not anti-government,” he insisted.
Atiku Abubakar, in a statement issued through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, condemned the reported intimidation of the student leader and called for an independent investigation.
“It is intolerable that the first family would seek to subjugate NANS or any civil society group through threats, bribes, or brute force,” Atiku said. “The presidency is a public trust, not a private inheritance.”
He urged Nigerians to resist all attempts to stifle dissent or silence opposing voices.
Weighing in on the matter, the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, described the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
In a statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, Afenifere said: “This is a proxy war against the President and his family by political opponents who lack the courage to fight openly.”
It further warned student leaders against becoming tools for political manipulation and emphasised the need to safeguard national institutions from being undermined by partisan interests.
Afenifere characterised the allegations as “salacious, fallacious, and completely unfounded,” adding that the orchestrated controversy was part of a broader scheme to destabilise President Tinubu’s administration.
