Your daddy ain’t shit!

Seyi Tinubu is risking it all to defend his father

Good morning, Big Brains. Verily, verily, I saith to thee, go outside and touch grass. When you don’t step outside of your little bubble, you end up sounding like Seyi Tinubu (and that’s not a good thing).

- Margaret

Word count: ~ 1, 000
Reading time ~ 5 mins

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Let’s get into today’s edition:

• Seyi Tinubu is risking it all to defend his daddy

• Yobe residents are feeling the effects of USAID’s exit

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The Big Deal

Seyi Tinubu is risking it all to defend his daddy

Some of you wait for Father’s Day to celebrate your dads, but not Seyi Tinubu. To the first son of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, every day is Father’s Day.

Since the video of Rita Ushie Uguamaye, known as Raye, went viral, Nigeria’s corner of the internet has been raving with criticisms about the president’s approach to governance. Some people have also started using the #TinubuIsATerriblePresident hashtag, but Seyi Tinubu isn’t having it.

In a video that has now gone viral, the President’s son was seen defending his daddy and saying some things that are debatable enough to raise an eyebrow or two. In some parts of the video, he claimed that Nigerians have been coming for his father and his entire family. We’re not sure what that means, but to Seyi, it’s all bullshit because his father is the “greatest president in the history of Nigeria”.

He also claimed that his dad has created an economy that benefits every Nigerian and is the only president with the youth's best interest at heart.

To be honest, we rate the healthy father-son relationship, but we still have to ask the most important question on the minds of Nigerians—Is Seyi Tinubu being realistic or delusional?

Why is this a big deal?

Seyi Tinubu is his father’s twin, and we’re not just talking about the declining face card. They both seem to be out of touch with people’s reality.

We’ll first talk about Seyi’s “My daddy created the best economy” claim because it’s the most interesting one of the bunch. When Daddy T became president, one of the first things he did was scrap fuel subsidy. We hadn’t even picked up our dropped jaw from the floor when he floated the naira. If you remember anything from your Economics class, you’d know these weren’t necessarily bad moves. Because their benefits cannot be seen immediately, the International Monetary Fund (who recommended these reforms) told the government that it’s important to set up social relief programs for the Nigerians affected by the harsh effects of the reforms. That message must have flown over President Tinubu’s head because people are still suffering without relief.

If you’re wondering what other countries did when they found themselves in similar situations, here’s what Egypt did — they started cash transfers and healthcare support. They don’t have two heads; they have good leaders.

Now, let’s talk about how his “My daddy loves Nigerian youths” promise. On page 58 of his 80-page manifesto promise, President Tinubu made two interesting promises to Nigerian youths – to create a business mentorship program to help youths build businesses or find jobs and transform the National Youth Service. How is that going? That’s right, another failed promise to Nigerian youths. These same youths have been bullied, arrested and even killed for speaking against this administration.

Do you want to know what has really happened since Tinubu became president? Naira has gone from about ₦460/$1 in May 2023 to over ₦1,500/$1 today. A 50kg bag of rice has gone from about ₦38,000 in September 2023 to over ₦90,000 today.

Respectfully, Seyi Tinubu, the street is saying your daddy ain’t shit. Go outside and touch grass!

Yobe residents are feeling the effects of USAID’s exit

Not too much on us, but we come bearing another bad news. Over 220,000 people in Yobe State have been affected by USAID’s funding withdrawal. Health, education, food security, and everything else that keeps struggling communities sane have taken a hit.

The Executive Secretary of Yobe’s Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), Mohammed Goje, confirmed the situation, saying that serious gaps are left to be filled. In response, Governor Mai Mala Buni has ordered an urgent assessment to figure out how the situation can be managed, but with humanitarian aid disappearing quickly, it’s not looking good.

Meanwhile, in Borno, officials are trying to keep spirits high. Budget and Planning Commissioner Babagana Malumbe insists that the withdrawal won’t shake essential services too much. He said USAID’s funding was mostly complementary—if they bring $100,000, the state matches it. He claims they never fully relied on USAID, but the state is now relying on alternative funding sources like UNICEF’s AGILE programme to soften the blow.

The next few months will tell whether the Nigerian government has what it takes to step into USAID’s big shoes.

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This Week’s Big Question

”What’s something you used to buy easily before Tinubu but now feels like a luxury?”

Deola’s response - “Small chops platter. I console myself by buying puffpuff from the woman at the junction.”

You can also share your response here, and if it’s as interesting as Deola’s, we’ll feature it in the next edition.

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Take a quiz before you leave

QUIZ: Can You Unscramble These Political Terms in 1 Minute, or Are You an Olodo?: Share your results and tag us on social media.

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Play catch up

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