Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the allegations of assault and abduction against his son, Seyi.
Reecall that Seyi has been accused of assault and abduction, allegations his camp has described as politically motivated.
Atiku Isah, a factional President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, alleged during a press conference in Abuja that he was brutalised and abducted on April 15 after rejecting a N100m bribe allegedly offered by Seyi and the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, to support Tinubu’s administration.
The factional union leader claimed that after turning down the offer, he was stripped, attacked, and held against his will by unidentified thugs.
Isah said the incident occurred shortly after a meeting in Lagos, where he claimed the bribe attempt was made.
Seyi has used his Instagram story to deny ever meeting Isah or getting involved in any such incident.
Seyi sid the allegations were fabricated to tarnish his reputation.
“Wow… how can someone lie with so much confidence? An attempt to defame my character. May God be with you, Comrade Atiku Isah,” Seyi wrote.
“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,” he added.
The Special Assistant to the President on Student Affairs and a former NANS President, Sunday Asefon, rose in Seyi’s defence, alleging that Isah was being sponsored by political actors, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who he claimed was working to undermine Tinubu’s administration ahead of 2027.
Reacting, El-Rufai on his X handle on Friday, wrote, “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.”
Asefon told Punch in an interview that Isah currently resided in El-Rufai’s home and presented photos allegedly showing the student leader in meetings with prominent opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Omoyele Sowore, and Sule Lamido.
“They have now seen that Seyi is a political asset to his father, so they want to destabilise him,” Asefon said.
He described the abduction and torture allegations as a smear campaign orchestrated to discredit the first family.
Asefon insisted that Isah was not the legitimate NANS president, adding that the recognised leader was one Olusola Oladoja.
Reacting to the claims, Isah denied ever staying in El-Rufai’s house and described the accusations as desperate attempts to silence him and brand him anti-government.
He said, “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 clarified that despite some disagreements with Tinubu’s policies, he still supported the President but would not compromise on truth and accountability.
Weighing in on the issue, former Vice President Atiku, through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, condemned the alleged intimidation of the student leader, warning that Nigeria should not be run like the personal property of the first family.
“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,” Atiku said
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