The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said that Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, is being subjected to unprovoked vilification and media blackmail.
In a statement sent to Daily Sun on Monday, President of the Senate of NANS, Usman Adamu Nagwaza said the campaign of calumny against the president’s son is regrettable and uncalled for.
The statement comes days after a factional President of the association, Atiku Abubakar Isah, sued the president’s son and the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged human rights violations.
However, Nagwaza said the younger Tinubu is a man “whose contributions to youth development, humanitarian advancement, and nation-building have been nothing short of laudable”.
He added, “It is indeed a paradox of our time that in a society where those who selflessly commit their lives to service ought to be venerated, they are instead subjected to cynical disparagement.
“Life, as we know it, often thrives in contradiction and it is profoundly regrettable that a man like Seyi Tinubu, who has consistently embodied humility, benevolence, and sacrifice, is being mischaracterised by individuals whose only stock-in-trade is misinformation and mischief-making.
“It defies logic that Mr. Seyi Tinubu, whose mere status could have entitled him to the trappings of privilege and aloofness, has instead consciously chosen the path of accessibility, humility, and philanthropic investment in the lives of ordinary Nigerians. Rather than recline in the ceremonial glory of the presidency’s corridors, he has stooped to serve, lifted others, and become a beacon of hope for thousands of young people.”
Nagwaza said to see such a man being castigated for acts of compassion is both shameful and intellectually dishonest.
He stated that the NANS leadership felt compelled to set the record straight that the internal brouhaha involving Isah and the leadership of NANS is a purely domestic affair within the association.
“It bears absolutely no correlation, linkage, or implication involving Mr. Seyi Tinubu. Attempts to rope him into unrelated institutional politics are reckless, mischievous, and a desperate act of deflection by those who would rather destroy than build.
“Mr. Seyi Tinubu has, time and again, proven to be an altruist par excellence, a youth ambassador, a bridge-builder, a consistent friend of the Nigerian student community and the Nigerian youths at large. His passion for empowerment, his commitment to creating opportunities, and his spirit of generosity are virtues that deserve applause, not condemnation.
“We, therefore, enjoin Mr. Seyi Tinubu to remain steadfast in his journey of service and not be distracted by the antics of political jobbers and professional clout-chasers whose objective is to deter him from his noble mission. The voices of mischief are always loud, but they are hollow, bereft of moral substance and unworthy of dignified response.
“To the naysayers, we say this: you cannot extinguish the brilliance of a man whose heart beats for the people. You cannot rewrite the truth with propaganda, nor can you derail a destiny anchored in service and goodwill. Mr. Seyi Tinubu has immortalized his name while still living and has done so while shaping destinies, uplifting lives, and creating legacies that will outlive transient controversies.
“On behalf of millions of Nigerian students across the federation, we say: thank you for being a light in a generation that desperately needs it. Continue your good works, for history shall be kind to you,” Nagwaza stressed.