From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Forum for Good Governance (FGGN) has come to the defence of President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized the award of a contract to a company where Seyi serves as a board member.
Atiku alleged that Seyi Tinubu is a director on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, and questioned the award of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road contract to the group. He cited a report by the Paris-based Africa Intelligence News Agency, which revealed Seyi Tinubu’s official business association with Chagoury, suggesting that the Chagoury Group has become the biggest beneficiary of the Tinubu administration’s largesse.
However, FGGN, in a press statement signed by its National Coordinator and Secretary, Comrades Abraham Douglas and Bala Galadima Ikara, respectively, defended Seyi Tinubu. They argued that being the President’s son should not deny him the right to pursue legitimate business interests within and outside the country. They stated that the issue of Seyi’s CDK board membership is irrelevant in this context.
“Seyi joined the Board of Directors of CDK in 2018 as an investor, with a good record of performance and capacity,” the statement read. “Why deny such an investor with the right to business patronage because his father is the president?”
The Forum also highlighted the positive impact of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, stating that it will boost the economy and promote growth and development. They emphasized that Seyi Tinubu, as an adult, has the right to do business within the limits of the law.
“How has Seyi, as an investor on the board of CDK, conflicted with Hitech Construction Company’s work on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway?” the statement questioned.
Furthermore, the Forum pointed out that the Chairman and highest shareholder of CDK is a retired General, not Seyi Tinubu. They also highlighted Seyi’s involvement in business for several years before his father became President.
The statement concluded by invoking the principle of equity, stating that those who criticize others for alleged conflicts of interest should also be held to the same standards. They pointed to Atiku’s own business dealings during his time as Vice President, specifically his involvement with Intels Nigeria, a company he co-founded with an Italian entrepreneur while serving in the Nigerian Customs Service.
“When he was Vice President of Nigeria between 1999-2007, he maintained his business links with Intels that won major port concession deals in Nigeria,” the statement concluded.