Bala Ibrahim
Once again, Seyi Tinubu, the prominent heir apparent to the economic, or even likely, the political interest or estate of the President of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in the limelight.
This time around, with regards the humongous security details attached to him wherever he goes. Public interest around Seyi Tinubu developed most, immediately his father commenced campaign for the Presidency, about three years ago.
In what was not immediately clear to many, Seyi began youth mobilization in support of his father’s ambition, the minute the father hits the ground running with his campaign, the campaign for the fulfilment of a life long ambition- the ambition to be the President of Nigeria.
Tinubu had made it clear, time without number, that being the President of Nigeria is a life long ambition.
So when he became one, people should not be surprised if he shows uncontrollable appreciation to those who share, or help him in the achievement of that goal, including those who stand to benefit from the structures he has built. And the heir apparent would be the biggest beneficiary, I think.
In an effort to bolster the strength of the police, by putting them more in the areas where they are most needed, in the fight against the bedevilling menace of insecurity, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of police officers, who were hitherto providing security for Very Important Persons in the country.
He directed the IGP to deploy them to their core police duties of policing the country. Any VIP that wants police protection, he said, should request for well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
That directive was applauded by all well meaning Nigerians, because, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
The decision was applauded more, when the President put his feet down, to the request by some powerful political forces for a review.
However, commotion commenced coming from some people, when some VIPs were seen with such police paraphernalia, prominent amongst whom was Seyi Tinubu, the President’s heir apparent.
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, was the first prominent Nigerian to alert the nation that the President’s directive is being operated with a select gear, it seems.
Commenting at the presentation of an honourary award to Odia Ofeimun, Prof. Soyinka said he was shocked by the excessively large security battalion assigned to Seyi, when he saw him at a hotel in Ikoyi.
Soyinka said the fully-armed security personnel were sufficient to take over a small country like Benin Republic, where the Nigerian government intervened to quell a coup.
With such battalion attached to his son, Tinubu needs no extra hands to intervene in Cotonou. The battalion around Seyi is enough.
Of course the message is clear-the heir is getting more than can be legitimised as a help out. More so, at a time others were told to make sacrifices.
Seyi is not the first child of the President, because, according to the records, President Tinubu fathered three children from previous relationships, viz: Kazeem Olajide Tinubu, Folashade Tinubu and Oluwaseyi Tinubu.
But from the way he conducts himself, alongside the body language of his father, Seyi seems to be the heir apparent. And one that is getting, and always giving a help out.
Indeed in recent times, Seyi is in the news due to his lifestyle, which some critics call flamboyant.
But Seyi is the heir apparent of the President, and one that has made countless sacrifices to the fulfilment of his father’s life long ambition.
A sacrifice the father and the family are proud of. It may be recalled that Seyi turned forty years recently. While eulogizing him on his birthday, his father, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wrote this:
“Dear Son,
Today, as you turn forty, I thank Almighty God for your life and the man you have become. You have walked your path with focus, courage, and humility, and you have done so with a heart that seeks to build, serve, and uplift others. From an early age, you have shown determination and a desire to create and lead.
I have watched you turn ideas into institutions and challenges into opportunities. In business and in service, you have shown that true success is not measured by wealth or power but by the impact we make and the lives we touch.
Forty is a special age. It bridges youthful drive and the more profound wisdom that life brings. You have carried your name with honour and have remained faithful to the values of discipline, integrity, and hard work. Our entire family is proud of you.
We are proud of the family you are building with Layal, your devotion as a husband and father, and your commitment to making a difference in your generation.
As you celebrate this milestone, remember that your strength lies in what you achieve and how you inspire others to believe in themselves.
May God bless you with wisdom, good health, and peace.
Happy 40th Birthday, my son. You have made us proud, and I know you will continue to make Nigeria proud.
Your Dad,
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Yes, modesty, which is the quality of being unassuming, demands that we run our lives in ways that are quiet, but sometimes, disposition compels deviation.
And such deviations may arise from the expectations of exemptions, for the help out that goes to a heir, to which Seyi Tinubu may find it difficult to be an exception.
