- Members of the De Renaissance Patriots Foundation condemned Youth Minister Ayodele Olawande’s comments about Seyi Tinubu
- The foundation called the endorsement "careless" and a misrepresentation of the views of Lagos citizens
- The group emphasised the state’s ability to govern itself, urging against his leadership
A group of Lagos natives, the De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, has criticised the comments made by the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande.
In a statement released by the group’s media office on Tuesday, January 14, the foundation said, “Our attention had been drawn once again to a media interview granted recently by the Minister for Youths claiming that Seyi Tinubu is fit to lead Lagos State.
Group condemns minister’s support for Seyi Tinubu
The foundation condemned the minister’s remarks as “careless” and claimed that they did not reflect the views of the people of Lagos State.
“We condemn the careless statement made by the Minister for Youth, and we regard it as his own and not a representation of the people of Lagos State across the five divisions of Lagos State: Epe, Lagos, Badagry, Ikeja, and Ikorodu Divisions of Lagos State.”
Olawande had endorsed Seyi Tinubu as a suitable candidate to lead Lagos State in 2027, citing Tinubu's dedication and his proven efforts in supporting youth before his father became President.
“He’s not too young to become a governor. “Seyi is not the one engineering the campaign to become the next governor of Lagos State,” Olawande stated.
Foundation calls for Lagosians to reject imperial-style leadership
The group further said, “We know as a fact that Mr Seyi Tinubu, as much mouthed, is not from any of the divisions in Lagos State. Mr Seyi can’t lay claim to either Epe, Badagry, Lagos Division, Ikeja, or Ikorodu division of Lagos State. To state it clearly, Mr Seyi Tinubu is not from Lagos State.
“We have said it timelessly that any state in Nigeria who is proud of Seyi Tinubu and any of his benevolent attributes can make request of him to govern them, but as youths in Lagos State who have the capacity to govern ourselves, we say no to Mr Seyi Tinubu, and the simple meaning of that is that we can govern ourselves and not in need of any outsider to lead us.
“We know that some elders have sold us out to the government of the day. They are equally ready to sell us more. While we know that they are free to seek bread and butter for themselves, we say no to their further attempts to sell Lagos State to Mr Seyi Tinubu.
“We want to use this opportunity to remind Mr Seyi Tinubu not to fall for the deceit of those pushing him to contest. We also wish to remind him that Lagos is not like before when our fathers sold the state to government of the day.
“This time around, as vibrant youths of the state, we will resist any attempt to force Mr Seyi Tinubu on us as governor of our dear state.
“Lagos state throne is not for the picking anymore. If Seyi qualifies to run for the guber race, so be it, but he should try from Osun state or Oyo state, where his mum hailed from.
“Lagos State has more than enough sons and daughters to stand in for the trophy. Nigeria is not ready for imperial rule. She is not a monarchy,” the group stated.
Lagos Governorship 2027: How potential contenders have begun the race early
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the race for Lagos Governorship in 2027 started with key contenders from the ruling APC and opposition parties hoping for the seat.
Seyi Tinubu, Mudashiru Obasa, Akinwunmi Ambode and Tokunbo Abiru were touted as potential candidates for APC.