Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has come down hard on President Bola Tinubu following serious allegations of abduction and assault involving the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu.

The storm was triggered by Atiku Isah, a factional leader of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who alleged during a press conference in Abuja that he was kidnapped and brutalised on April 15 after rejecting a N100 million bribe.

The bribe, he claimed, was offered by Seyi Tinubu and Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, in exchange for support of the Tinubu administration.

“I was stripped, beaten, and held against my will by unknown thugs,” Isah said, adding that the incident happened in Lagos shortly after rejecting the offer.

Seyi Tinubu, however, denied any involvement, calling the accusations “completely fictional.”

“Wow… how can someone lie with so much confidence? An attempt to defame my character,” Seyi wrote on Instagram. “I have never met Comrade Isah or had any meeting with him.”

The Special Assistant to the President on Student Affairs, Sunday Asefon, dismissed the claims as a politically sponsored smear campaign allegedly involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Asefon went further, stating that Isah currently resides in El-Rufai’s home and presented photos of him with opposition figures including Atiku Abubakar and Omoyele Sowore.

Reacting sharply, El-Rufai posted, “What is going on here? We must ask questions, demand answers and action!! #JusticeforNANSPresident.”

Atiku, via his media aide Paul Ibe, condemned the alleged intimidation, saying, “It is intolerable that the first family would seek to subjugate NANS or any civil society group through threats, bribes, or brute force.”

He called for an independent investigation and warned that “the presidency is a public trust, not a private inheritance.”

Pan-Yoruba group Afenifere also weighed in, calling the allegations “salacious, fallacious, and completely unfounded,” and warning student leaders not to be used as political pawns.

Isah denied staying in El-Rufai’s home, saying, “I have not seen El-Rufai in over nine years. Meeting Atiku and Sowore doesn’t mean I’m working for them.”

Despite the swirling controversy, Isah maintained his stance: “I still support the President, but I won’t compromise on truth and accountability.”