NANS ALLEGATIONS: CALL YOUR FAMILY TO ORDER, ATIKU TELLS TINUBU
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The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to restrain his family following allegations that his son, Seyi Tinubu, attempted to meddle in the affairs of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
In a statement released on Friday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku warned against treating Nigeria like a personal estate.
The statement, titled “Tinubu Must Call His Family to Order: Nigeria Is Not a Private Estate,” referenced claims made by a factional NANS president, Comrade Atiku Isah, who on Wednesday in Abuja alleged that Seyi Tinubu offered him a N100 million bribe in Lagos to publicly declare support for President Tinubu.
Comrade Isah stated that he rejected the alleged bribe, insisting he could not support a president who had not fulfilled his campaign promises.
He also claimed that after declining the offer, he was attacked, stripped, and abducted by thugs on April 15.
In response on Friday, Seyi Tinubu denied any connection to the alleged incident, asserting that he had never met Isah and accusing him of concocting the story in a bid to damage his reputation.
In his reaction, Atiku condemned as unacceptable the alleged attempt by the First family to intimidate and control NANS or any civil society organisation using threats, financial inducements, or violence.
He stated, “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 , 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.”
Atiku emphasised that Isah’s advocacy and public position should be assessed based on facts, not falsehoods.
He added, “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 weaponises power to silence dissent.”
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