During a televised colloquium held to honour Seyi Tinubu, [African Action Congress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Action_Congress) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore took to X to ask what the president’s son has actually contributed to Nigerian society. He framed the question as a direct challenge to the event’s legitimacy, which featured numerous "prominent personalities" and was broadcast on major television stations.
**What did Sowore ask?**
He wrote: "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?" The post implied that the gathering was more about familial privilege than merit.
**Is the event based on merit or presidential lineage?**
Sowore suggested the colloquium was simply a product of Seyi being the son of [President Bola Tinubu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_Tinubu), rather than any independent achievement.
**How does this compare to past political spectacles?**
He drew a parallel with the media attention surrounding marriages into the family of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, noting that the hype faded after Yar’Adua’s death.
**Why is the criticism timed now?**
Sowore highlighted that Nigerians are currently grappling with hunger, unemployment, insecurity and economic hardship, problems he attributes to the Tinubu administration. He argued that, under such conditions, the nation should be focusing on holding the government accountable rather than celebrating the president’s offspring.
**What is the broader implication?**
By labeling the event a "national shaming of the Tinubu regime," Sowore called for greater scrutiny of political patronage and urged that public resources be directed toward addressing the country’s pressing socioeconomic challenges.