Human Rights crusader and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has slammed a colloqium held in honour of Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, as a showboating of sycophancy and power worship in Nigerian society.
Sowore, in a post on X while reacting to the event, which was broadcast on major television stations, questioned the president’s son contributions to Nigeria and his achievements that justified the gathering and the attendance of several prominent personalities.
“What exactly has Seyi Tinubu contributed to Nigerian society to warrant this elaborate colloquium, attended by so many ‘prominent personalities’ and broadcast across major television stations?” he asked.
The AAC candidate further questioned what public service, intellectual contribution or national achievement was being celebrated, asking whether the event was based on merit or Seyi Tinubu’s position as the president’s son.
“Is this about merit, or simply about being the son of a sitting president?” he wrote.
He described the event as a “sad day”.
Sowore compared the spectacle to the marriages involving members of the family of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and serving governors.
According to him, they attracted considerable political attention at the time, but all faded after Yar’Adua’s death.
“Today, we are witnessing another manifestation of this culture of power worship,” Sowore said.
He also criticised the timing of the colloquium, citing the economic and security challenges facing Nigerians, including hunger, unemployment and insecurity.
Sowore blamed the hardship on the policies of the Tinubu administration and argued that the country should be more concerned about the difficulties confronting citizens than celebrating the president’s son.
“At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with hunger, unemployment, insecurity, and economic hardship brought about by his father, we should be having national shaming of the Tinubu regime,” he stated.