![L-R: Seyi Tinubu and Comrade Isaac Balami, a former Deputy Campaign Manager for Obi/Datti in the 2023 elections. [X, formerly Twitter]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/21012025/16f4d23e-0110-40dc-9ea4-e777a661befe.jpeg?operations=autocrop(1042:580))
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A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and youth advocate, Comrade Isaac Balami, has defended Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, amid growing online criticism.
Balami described the persistent attacks on the younger Tinubu as a targeted campaign designed to discredit his influence and popularity among Nigerian youths.
Reacting to a recent viral video showing Seyi Tinubu at the Vatican during the Pope's inauguration, where some claimed he was denied a handshake, Balami dismissed the narrative as “deliberate mischief.”
“From the video, it is clear that Seyi Tinubu was only going to join his dad after the handshake and was simply directed to meet him on the other exit.
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“How someone will just sit down to initiate this narrative is beyond me,” Balami said.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Seyi Tinubu blocked from greeting Pope during Vatican visit
He warned that such orchestrated attacks, often rooted in political rivalry, were damaging to Nigeria’s youth-driven progress.
“I advise those with the ‘Pull Him Down’ syndrome to know that they can still succeed without necessarily trying to pull others down,” he said.
Balami, a former spokesman of the Trade Union Congress, criticised the "politics of bitterness" and urged Nigerian youths to stand by Seyi Tinubu, whom he described as a role model for responsible leadership.
He referenced Seyi’s recent public appearances and philanthropic efforts, including his foundation’s support for underprivileged youth.
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“Seyi Tinubu's support for young people knows no bounds,” Balami asserted.
He further recalled a past incident involving the factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who issued an apology to Seyi Tinubu after a public dispute.
“If the privileged Seyi Tinubu can go through this type of online bullying, then what becomes of the ordinary youth who aspires for bigger and better offices in the future?” Balami questioned.
Balami concluded by calling on young Nigerians to resist being swayed by propaganda and instead form a united front against divisive politics.