African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has questioned the achievements of Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, that warranted an elaborate colloquium in his honour, accusing Nigeria’s political elite of celebrating proximity to power over merit.
Sowore, in a post on his X handle on Monday, October 12, 2026, criticised the event, which was livestreamed on major television stations, describing it as evidence of what he called a deepening culture of sycophancy in Nigerian society.
“Today, I watched a ‘Seyi Tinubu Colloquium’ being livestreamed on major television stations, and I couldn’t help wondering how deeply the culture of sycophancy has eaten into Nigerian society,” he wrote.
The activist questioned whether Seyi Tinubu had made any extraordinary contributions to public service, intellectual development or national progress to justify the scale of the gathering and the attendance of prominent personalities.
“What exactly has @STinubu contributed to Nigerian society to warrant this elaborate colloquium, attended by so many ‘prominent personalities’ and broadcast across major television stations?” Sowore asked.
He added, “What extraordinary public service, intellectual contribution, or national achievement is being celebrated?”
The AAC candidate also questioned whether the event was driven by genuine recognition of achievement or by Seyi Tinubu’s relationship with the President.
“Is this about merit, or simply about being the son of a sitting president?” he asked.
Sowore drew parallels with political marriages during the administration of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, recalling how relationships involving members of the presidential family and serving governors attracted significant public attention.
He argued that the political spectacle surrounding those relationships faded after Yar’Adua’s death, using the example to question the durability of public celebrations built around political connections.
For Sowore, the colloquium raises broader questions about the values being promoted by Nigeria’s political establishment and whether public recognition is increasingly determined by access to power rather than demonstrable contributions to society.
He also faulted the celebration against the backdrop of the economic and security challenges confronting Nigerians, including hunger, unemployment and insecurity.
“At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with hunger, unemployment, insecurity, and economic hardship brought about by his father, @officialABAT, we should be having national shaming of the Tinubu regime. Sad day!” he wrote.
The criticism adds to Sowore’s broader political attacks on the Tinubu administration as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election.
However, his post did not provide an independent assessment of Seyi Tinubu’s contributions or establish that the colloquium was organised solely because of his family relationship with the President.
