The Presidency has affirmed Seyi Tinubu’s entitlement to pursue his lawful business interests in Nigeria and globally, as long as he stays within legal boundaries. This statement comes as a response to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who criticized the awarding of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road contract to Hitech Construction Company Ltd. Atiku argued that the contract award posed a conflict of interest due to Seyi Tinubu’s directorship on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, which is the parent company of Hitech.
In contrast, the Presidency, through a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, accused Atiku of hypocrisy on various national matters. Onanuga emphasized that Seyi Tinubu’s connection to President Bola Tinubu does not disqualify him from engaging in legitimate business pursuits. Furthermore, Onanuga highlighted that Seyi Tinubu joined the CDK board in 2018, over six years ago, to represent an investor company’s interests.
The statement also pointed out the irony of Atiku’s conflict of interest accusations, given his history of maintaining business ties while serving in public office. The Presidency clarified that the Chagourys are minority stakeholders in CDK, with General TY Danjuma (rtd) as the Chairman and primary shareholder. Seyi Tinubu’s role on the CDK board was defended as a lawful exercise of his rights as a 38-year-old individual to engage in business activities within legal confines. The statement concluded by questioning the validity of Atiku’s claims and emphasizing the transparency of CDK’s ownership structure.
