Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the allegations of assault and abduction against his son, Seyi.
Seyi has come under fire over allegations of assault and abduction, allegations his camp has firmly denied and described as politically motivated.
At the heart of the controversy is Atiku Isah, a factional President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, who 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 the Tinubu’s administration.
Isah alleged that after turning down the offer, he was stripped, attacked, and held against his will by unidentified thugs.
The NANS leader said the incident occurred shortly after a meeting in Lagos, where he claimed the bribe attempt was made.
But in a response via his Instagram stories, Seyi denied ever meeting Isah or being involved in any such incident.
He labelled the allegations as a fabrication designed 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.
In defence of the President’s son, Special Assistant to the President on Student Affairs and a former NANS President, Sunday Asefon, alleged 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.”
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Asefon claimed 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.
The presidential aide further dismissed 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.
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.
He also called for an independent investigation into Isah’s claims, urging Nigerians to resist any attempt to silence dissent.
On its part, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, in a statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, dismissed the allegations as “salacious, fallacious, and completely unfounded.”
It said, “This is a proxy war against the President and his family by political opponents who lack the courage to fight openly.”
Afenifere accused Isah of being a front for a broader coalition of anti-Tinubu forces and warned student groups against being used as political pawns.
