Tensions Escalate in NANS Leadership Crisis as Atiku Isah Accuses Seyi Tinubu of Meddling
A fresh wave of controversy has engulfed the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as one of its factional leaders, Atiku Abubakar Isah, publicly accused Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, of interference in the affairs of the student body.
During a tense inauguration ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday, Isah, who leads one of the two rival factions of NANS, claimed Seyi Tinubu plotted to disrupt the event. “Seyi is an ordinary citizen like myself. He does not occupy any official position,” Isah declared defiantly. “Even if I had to risk my life to be here today, I would. At the end of today, the inauguration is completed, and I am the NANS president. Seyi can do anything he wants to do.”
Isah further alleged that he was tortured and pressured to resign from his position on April 16, 2025, highlighting the escalating turmoil within the student organisation.
The leadership of NANS has been deeply divided in recent months, with parallel elections producing two presidents: Isah and Olusola Oladoja, each backed by separate factions. The resulting power struggle has left the once-unified student movement fractured and embattled.
On Wednesday, Henry Okunomo, a former Senate president of NANS, spoke on Channels TV, expressing concern over what he described as the erosion of the association’s core values. He pointed a finger at Seyi Tinubu, alleging undue influence.
“With the involvement of the president’s son for the past year, he has done everything to make sure the organisation is porous,” Okunomo said. “What he stands to gain, I don’t know. But the public deserves to know—what is his interest in NANS?”
In a swift rebuttal posted on his official Instagram handle Friday, Seyi Tinubu dismissed the allegations as baseless and defamatory. He denied any connection to the NANS inauguration or Isah himself.
“I have never held a meeting to discuss any subject matter with Comrade Isah in Lagos or anywhere else in the world,” he wrote. “I have never knowingly met him before. Neither did I visit any location with thugs. All these allegations by Atiku Isah are completely fictional.”
As the crisis deepens, concerns are mounting over the credibility and future of NANS. Once a formidable voice in national advocacy for Nigerian students, the organisation now finds itself mired in factionalism, accusations, and political intrigue.
