By Olumide Akinrinlola
The federal government of Facebook and X had declared a state of emergency. For weeks, the timeline had been quiet. There was no sighting of Nigeria’s ambassador of white native attire, Seyi Tinubu—a man known for his perfectly tailored, slim-fit white Yoruba clothing.
His signature look was missing. TikTokers had nothing to gossip about, and Facebook Reels, his favourite platform, had gone cold since he disappeared from social media. The streets that used to enjoy videos of his smooth transitions, set to Afrobeat music, were now left with dry memes and content from bloggers surviving on monetization.
Had he locked himself out of his social media accounts? Was he standing in his wardrobe, worried that the Lagos humidity had stained his white clothes? WhatsApp groups suggested he had gone on a fast to help the national grid.
Influencers were lost, and comment sections were empty. Without a fresh Reel of Seyi stepping out of an SUV in his white native gear, surrounded by aides shouting “Welcome sir, Seyi oo!”, Nigerian social media felt lonely.
However, the truth is that Seyi Tinubu is healthy and active in politics. He has not been kidnapped, nor is he hiding from internet critics. He has simply traded the attention of Facebook likes and X retweets for something more important in Nigerian politics: he has been working on grassroots mobilisation for his father’s re-election.
While the internet was mourning his empty feed, Seyi was working on the ground. He has been putting energy into the City Boy Movement and various youth groups. He left the comfort of social media to build a political structure, ward by ward.
His mission is to secure over 10 million youth votes across the nation for his father’s 2027 re-election campaign. From organising national meetings to coordinating community structures, his digital silence was not a retreat; it was a strategy. He chose to swap virtual views for face-to-face meetings with local political leaders.
For the opposition who thought his social media silence meant he had stopped working, the reality is a wake-up call: Seyi Tinubu did not disappear; he just moved his operations from the internet to the field. President Bola Tinubu, his family, and his political team are not taking the 2027 general elections for granted.
Unlike his followers, the president understands politics and knows that the Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso joint ticket is a serious challenge. He is aware that northerners are not happy with some of his administrative policies. He understands that Atiku Abubakar is leading a separate opposition movement that cannot be ignored.
Despite having control of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and government resources, the president and his son are leaving nothing to chance as they prepare for the 2027 presidential election.
Akinrinlola Olumide, the Publisher of Starnews NG, writes from Toronto, Canada.
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