It is within Seyi Tinubu’s right to pursue any legitimate business – Presidency replies Atiku

In response to former vice president Atiku Abubakar, the presidency stated that Seyi Tinubu was free to pursue legal business ventures wherever in the globe.

This was said by the Presidency in a statement on Monday that was signed by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy.

In a statement, Atiku Abubakar criticized Hitech Construction Company Ltd. for being awarded the contract to build the coastal route between Lagos and Calabar.

Atiku claims that there is a conflict of interest in the contract award to Hitech Construction Company Ltd. because President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, is a director on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a division of the Chagoury Group, which also happens to be Hitech’s parent company.

But, reacting to the former Vice President, the Presidency accused Atiku of being hypocritical on many national issues.

Onanuga said the fact that Seyi Tinubu’s father is now the President of Nigeria does not disqualify him from pursuing legitimate business interests.

He said Seyi Tinubu joined the Board of Directors of CDK in 2018, adding that he is representing the interest of an investor company.

Onanuga said he found it strange that Atiku could accuse Tinubu of conflict of interest in the award of Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway to Hitech Construction Company.

He stated, “Is it not amusing that the former Vice President, a man who openly said he formed Intels Nigeria with an Italian businessman when he was serving in the Nigeria Customs Service, a clear breach of extant public service regulations, is now the one accusing someone else of conflict of interest?

“When he was Vice President of Nigeria between 1999-2007, he maintained his business links with Intels that won major port concession deals.

“As Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, he approved sales of over 145 State-owned enterprises to his known friends and associates and openly said during his failed campaign for the presidency last year that he would do the same, if elected.”

He said that contrary to Atiku’s claim that the Chagourys own the CDK, the Chairman of the company and its highest shareholder is respected General TY Danjuma (rtd).

He added that the Chagourys are minority shareholders in the company, adding only one member of the clan is on its five-man board.

“It is important to state clearly that Seyi Tinubu is a 38-year-old adult who has a right to do business and pursue his business interests in Nigeria and anywhere in the world within the limits of the law.

“The fact that his father is now the President of Nigeria does not disqualify Seyi from pursuing legitimate business interests.

“For the records, Seyi joined the Board of Directors of CDK in 2018, more than six years ago.

“He is representing the interest of an investor company, in which he has interest. He is not a board member because his father is a friend of the Chagourys.

“Information about owners and shareholders of CDK is a matter of public record that can be openly accessed from the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission and CDK’s.

“Atiku and his proxy did not need a little-known journal to recycle open-source information to make a fallacious argument.

“The Chairman of CDK and the highest shareholder of the company is respected General TY Danjuma (rtd).

“The Chagourys are minority shareholders in the company, and only one member of the clan is on its five-man board.

“We wonder how Seyi’s membership of the board of CDK conflicts with Hitech Construction Company’s work on Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway,” the statement read in part.