APC Youth Leader Defends Seyi Tinubu, Condemns Online Attacks as Politically Motivated

• Comrade Isaac Balami, a youth advocate and APC chieftain, has defended Seyi Tinubu amid viral criticism following a Vatican video
• He condemned the online bullying as politically motivated mischief aimed at damaging Seyi's public image and discouraging youth participation in leadership.
• Balami urged young Nigerians to focus on unity and resist divisive propaganda designed to tear down promising figures

A leading member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and youth development advocate, Comrade Isaac Balami, has spoken out against what he described as a growing trend of politically motivated attacks on Seyi Tinubu, the son of Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu.

Balami’s remarks follow a wave of online backlash stemming from a video that surfaced during the Pope’s inauguration at the Vatican.

Man defends Tinubu's son amid backlash

In the clip, Seyi Tinubu was seen standing beside his father, prompting speculation that he was snubbed during a handshake sequence.

Reacting to this, Balami dismissed the claim as “deliberate mischief,” insisting there was no incident of embarrassment or disrespect.

“From the video, it is clear that Seyi Tinubu was only going to join his dad after the handshake and was simply directed to meet him on the other exit,” Balami said.

“How someone will just sit down to initiate this narrative is beyond me.”

Describing the trend as a targeted smear campaign, Balami warned that such behavior does more harm to the political and social progress of Nigeria’s youth than to its intended targets.

He argued that political rivalry should not be reduced to the weaponization of falsehoods and online bullying.

“I advise those with the ‘Pull Him Down’ syndrome to know that they can still succeed without necessarily trying to pull others down,” he added.

Balami, who previously served as the spokesman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the attacks against Seyi Tinubu were part of a larger culture of “bitterness politics” that threatens the country’s democratic integrity.

He called on young Nigerians to see Seyi not just as the son of the president, but as a committed youth leader who has shown dedication through philanthropy and public service.

He also pointed to the work of Seyi Tinubu’s foundation, which has focused on providing support for vulnerable young people across the country, as evidence of his commitment to youth development.

“Seyi Tinubu's support for young people knows no bounds,” Balami said.

Recalling a past controversy involving a factional NANS president who later apologized to Seyi Tinubu, Balami questioned the effect such bullying could have on other aspiring young leaders.

“If the privileged Seyi Tinubu can go through this type of online bullying, then what becomes of the ordinary youth who aspires for bigger and better offices in the future?” he asked.

Balami urged Nigerian youth to resist divisive rhetoric and unite for a more constructive political future.

Nigerian bishops celebrate election of Pope Leo XIV

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost had been elected by conclave as new Pope of the Catholic Church after the funeral rites of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 years.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is the first Pope from the United States of America, USA, in 2000 years. Born in Chicago in 1955, the new Pontiff also serves as the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Source: Legit.ng