Former media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati, has stirred controversy by criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s sons, Seyi and Yinka Tinubu, for what he perceives as their apparent lack of independent livelihoods, likening their presence at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to that of “jobless invalids.”
Abati, who now serves as a TV anchor on Arise News Channel’s ‘The Morning Show,’ expressed his concerns during Wednesday’s broadcast, highlighting the importance of pursuing meaningful endeavors rather than solely relying on parental connections.
Voicing disappointment in the Tinubu brothers’ purported dependence on their father’s position, Abati urged them to achieve independence, suggesting that their spouses might feel embarrassed by their husbands’ reliance on family ties.
“We must question what the president’s children do for a living. By their age, I had achieved significant milestones in my life, including earning a PhD at 24, without relying on any father,” remarked Abati.
He emphasized the necessity for individuals to attain independence and criticized the privileged tendency to linger around without purpose solely due to familial connections, noting the potential embarrassment caused to spouses by their partners’ dependency.
Abati’s remarks came in the wake of President Tinubu’s sons’ involvement in an official trip to Qatar last week, accompanying their father alongside other dignitaries.
Abuja City Journal previously reported an incident where President Tinubu rebuked Seyi for attending high-level government meetings at the Aso Rock Villa uninvited, prompting him to instruct security aides to prevent further indulgence of his son at state functions.
