The ongoing leadership crisis in the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) deepened on Friday as Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, firmly denied allegations linking him to the internal turmoil plaguing the association.
In a statement shared via his Instagram account, Seyi Tinubu described the accusations made by Atiku Isah, who claims to be the NANS President, as “false and defamatory.”
“Wow… how can someone lie with so much confidence? An attempt to defame my character. May God be with you, Comrade Atiku Isah,” Tinubu wrote.
He added,
“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. Neither did I visit any location with thugs. All these allegations made by Atiku Isah are completely fictional.”
Isah’s claims emerged during a press briefing on Wednesday, where he alleged that Seyi Tinubu and Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, offered him a ₦100 million bribe to promote President Tinubu’s image. Isah claimed he rejected the offer, citing what he described as the administration’s poor performance.
He also alleged that he was abducted on April 15, beaten, and coerced into making certain statements under duress:
“I was stripped naked and beaten seriously… I did that to gain my freedom, but immediately, I released a press statement that I was forced under duress. They claimed they would share the video.”
Isah further claimed his life was threatened by people loyal to Tinubu, saying:
“They told me that nothing would happen if they shared the video, and even if they killed me, Seyi Tinubu would order a cover-up.”
Meanwhile, Olusola Ladoja, who has been officially recognised as the legitimate NANS President, dismissed Isah’s allegations and his leadership claim as false.
In a statement, Ladoja asserted:
“Olusola Ladoja remains the sole, legitimate, and globally recognised President of NANS, having emerged through a transparent, democratic, and widely monitored electoral process.”
He labelled the idea of a factional leadership as “laughable” and warned that Isah’s alleged impersonation would face legal repercussions.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Ladoja added:
“I am unaware of any alleged attack on Isah by thugs. Seyi Tinubu is not affiliated with NANS. He only mingles with youths occasionally, and I don’t see why people are dragging his name online.”
Henry Okunomo, a former NANS Senate President, expressed concern over what he sees as the increasing politicisation of NANS due to external interference.
“Everybody is now tagging themselves to one political party or the other. The organisation is already losing the purpose of its creation,” he told Channels Television.
Okunomo criticized Seyi Tinubu’s involvement:
“With the involvement of the president’s son for the past year, he has done everything to make the organisation porous. What he stands to gain, I don’t know.”
The 9am News report underscores growing tensions within the student body, raising concerns about the association’s independence and its ability to uphold its founding values.
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