10th October, 2023
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s son, Seyi has triggered reactions on X after a journalist outed him for flying in a presidential jet to watch a polo tournament in Kano.
Journalist and publisher of Daily Nigerian Jaafar Jaafar first reported about the flight in a post on X early Monday.
He wrote: Here’s Tinubu’s golden child, Seyi, traveling in a presidential jet to watch polo in Kano. But this trend did not start today. Buhari set the bad example when he allowed his daughter Hanan to travel in a presidential jet for a photo tour in Bauchi.
“Even if our laws are vague on this, one thing is clear. This is an offence to the moral code of leadership”.
Some Nigerians in reaction said that the abuse of presidential jet antedated the current democracy. Cited was Ibrahim Abacha, the first son of late dictator, Sani Abacha who died in a plane crash in January 1996.
He was travelling from Lagos to Kano, along with 14 others, in a British made Hawker Siddeley 125 presidential jet. The jet crashed in Kano.
On Monday, opinions were mixed on whether it was right for the president’s son to use for unofficial functions, the presidential jet being maintained by tax payers money.
Eze Aloysius who reposted Jaafar’s post wrote: “Some extremely poor people will still come out and defend this in the name of ethnic, political or religious bigotry”.
Another Nigerian Tunde Asaju pointedly addressed the issue of morality raised by Jaafar, writing:
“You know that moral code does not appear in the same sentence with Nigeria’s ruiners or their over-pampered kids. They’ll keep doing it and sadly, nothing will happen. Morality dies when they take the oath of office”.
Dr Bello Anka, who introduced another dimension to the controversy by raising the issue of special forces guarding the president’s son, was educated by another Nigerian who drew attention to the mandate of the Department of State Services(DSS). It includes offering protection not only to the president and governors, but also their spouses and families.
In some other reactions, some Nigerians did not believe Jaafar was right to raise morality issues about the president’s son using the presidential jet.
An X user who identifies himself as GoziconC, wrote sarcastically:
“Thank you for showcasing your frustration. When your father becomes the most powerful man in Nigeria, please don’t near the Presidential Jet. Feel free to use wheelbarrow as your means of transport, but until then, continue crying!!”
Another X user, Aiesmerh also tweeted, “So what do you expect them to fly public flight as a first family? Jaafar this your story won’t sell abeg. It’s so globally. Get another story to sell.”