Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has hogged the limelight in recent times due to a lifestyle many critics find flamboyant, raising questions about the unfettered privileges Nigeria’s First Family members enjoy.
Seyi’s latest critic was Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, who deliberately veered off his remarks during the presentation of an honourary award to renowned poet Odia Ofeimun at the 20th edition of Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting in Lagos to take a swipe at him.
Recalling a recent encounter at a hotel he stayed on Victoria Island, Lagos, Prof Soyinka expressed shock at what he described as “an excessively large security battalion assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency,” saying the fully-armed security personnel were “sufficient to take over a small country” like Benin Republic where the Nigerian government intervened to quell a looming coup.
Curious about the scenario, Soyinka revealed he reached out to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to seek an explanation. Though Soyinka did not relay the outcome of his discussion with Ribadu, his demeanor was unmistakably clear – very worried.
“I couldn’t believe it. Later on, I did some investigative journalism, and I found that apparently this is how this young man goes around with his battalion, his heavily armed soldiers,” he said.
The world-acclaimed essayist warned that the children of public office holders must understand their place. “They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.”
Who is Seyi Tinubu?
Born on October 13, 1985, Seyi’s life has always revolved around power corridors. He grew up internalising what authority means. He was barely seven years old when his father had a stint at the short-lived 3rd National Assembly as a senator representing Lagos West. And midway through his education at St. Saviour’s School in Lagos, Holmewood House School and Milton Abbey in the United Kingdom, Tinubu became governor of Lagos State in 1999, affording his son another ground to learn the ropes, even if subconsciously.
He earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 2010 at the University of Buckingham, UK, where he also bagged a Master’s in corporate and commercial law and was called to the bar in Nigeria in 2013. At this time, he had started leveraging his father’s political clout to forge a path for himself.
He co-founded Loatsad Promomedia, a leading out-of-home advertising firm using digital screens and billboards, the same year he became a Nigerian lawyer. He also led Red Dot Media as founder and Chief Executive Officer.
According to reports, Seyi started in the family real estate business, Rotimi Tinubu & Co., and has ventures in entertainment, supporting events that promote Nigerian talent globally. He is married to Layal Jade, a Nigerian-Lebanese entrepreneur who runs Tot Toys.
Undoubtedly, ST, as he’s fondly called, evinces a complex persona that stirs both admiration and controversy. He is described as a Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist with a career in advertising, real estate and media while also engaging in youth empowerment initiatives. By the same token, he has been criticised for allegedly benefiting unduly from state resources and exerting considerable influence on who gets what in the scheme of things.
Upon President Tinubu’s assumption of office in May 2023, it didn’t take long before Nigerians introduced the monikers ‘the Office of the Son of President’ and ‘Acting Vice President’ in allusion to the stupendous opulence Seyi exudes and the influence he wields in the corridors of power.
Soyinka’s assertion that Seyi is fond of going around “with his battalion, his heavily armed soldiers” may not be far-fetched after all. For instance, in April 2025, the Internet was awash with a short video of Seyi being aggressively guarded by armed military men and police officers as he visited Sokoto in a long motorcade, as sirens blared ceaselessly.
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