PRESIDENT TINUBU SHOULD HAVE SENT HIS SON, SEYI, TO SUBDUE THE BENIN COUP!- PROF. WOLE SOYINKA

PROF. WOLE SOYINKA AND SEYI TINUBU

Professor Wole Soyinka is basically that one Nigerian uncle who has lived many lives in one lifetime, playwright, poet, activist, professor; man has range! He’s the type who calls out injustice so boldly, like it hits you before you even realize it!

He recently dropped one that has social media buzzing. At a recent award event, the Nobel Laureate narrated an incident that left him not only shocked, but genuinely worried about how state resources are being deployed. According to him, he once stepped out of his hotel in Ikoyi and found what appeared to be a full military operation happening right outside. The shocker came when he discovered it wasn’t a politician, ambassador or top military officer being protected but, ‘The Seyi Tinubu’, the President’s son.

The Viral Sarcasm: Send Seyi Tinubu to Subdue the Coup!

Professor Soyinka said he counted around fifteen officers, yes, fifteen heavily armed and positioned around Seyi like he was guarding an international border. He even thought a movie was being shot because the presence of such a large armed detail in a civilian environment didn’t look normal.

And of course, Professor Soyinka didn’t deliver this revelation quietly, he went full sarcasm mode, joking that instead of deploying Nigerian troops to Benin during the recent political tension, the President should have simply sent his son, Seyi to subdue the coup.

Professor Soyinka questioned why so many armed personnel were attached to a private citizen who was not elected into government nor officially holding a public-security sensitive position while Nigeria has kidnapping incidents happening every week, banditry in several states, and security shortages in rural areas, yet, a significant number of these officers are allocated to escort one individual simply because of family ties.

The Bigger Issue He’s Raising

Beyond criticizing the security arrangement, Professor Soyinka made another important statement; he said children of Presidents are not rulers and shouldn’t move around like they are. According to him, children of political leaders should understand their place and not operate in ways that suggest authority they were never elected to have.

This statement alone has sparked another conversation online about whether Nigeria is sliding towards a political culture where power automatically extends to family members without any public mandate. Now everyone is debating whether Professor Soyinka was right to call it out or whether the President’s son deserves maximum protection, especially with Nigeria’s unpredictable security climate.

The Big Question

Some Nigerians think Seyi naturally needs extra protection because of his father, but the bigger question now is, does Seyi Tinubu really need that much security or did Professor Wole Soyinka just shine a light on something everyone has been pretending not to notice? Think about it, Nigeria is facing kidnappings, and attacks in different states almost every week, meanwhile, one person reportedly has a security detail big enough to look like a mini army. That raises serious questions about priorities; are public resources being stretched to protect the few while the many remain vulnerable?

It also sparks a wider conversation about power and influence. When the children of politicians move around with such heavy protection, does it send the wrong message about privilege in Nigeria? Are we normalizing a system where proximity to power automatically grants special treatment even if it comes at the expense of national security?

At the end of the day, Professor Soyinka’s observation is more than just a funny story, it’s a reminder to ask tough questions about fairness, accountability and how state resources are used. Nigerians are now left wondering, is it just security done right, or is it a glimpse into how entitlement operates behind closed doors?