Tinubu praises Seyi's City Boy Movement, tells him to serve harder

At a City Boy Movement event at the State House in Abuja on Monday 19 October, President Bola Tinubu said people had called him asking what his son Seyi was running for, and answered: “He's running after his father.” He praised Seyi for organising young people without asking for a title or an office, and told him: “You have only started. Do more. Go further. Serve harder.”

Seyi Tinubu is the patron of the City Boy Movement, a youth group backing his father's re-election, and news reports describe him as its founder. The President said Seyi had built it “quietly” and “humbly” by going to young people, listening to them and organising them, Punch and the State House reported.

Tinubu also praised the movement's set-up. According to the State House statement, he said it had “millions of real, verifiable members”, a presence down to the polling units, a call centre that speaks to young Nigerians every day, and a community outreach programme called City Boys Care. He also thanked Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria (RTIFN), another support group that Vanguard and Leadership report was founded by Seyi.

The movement's Director-General, Francis Shoga, repeated its pledge to deliver at least 10 million youth votes in the January 2027 election. Leadership, The Nation and NAN reported that he put registered membership at 4.6 million, while the State House statement said 4.8 million. These are the movement's own figures and have not been independently checked.

Not everyone is impressed by Seyi's growing political profile. On 30 September, the ADC's vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, questioned where Seyi was getting the money he was spending on his nationwide engagements, saying he had been “throwing money around”, Punch reported. After Seyi's colloquium in Lagos on 12 October, activist Omoyele Sowore asked what Seyi had contributed to Nigeria to deserve such an event, Vanguard and Leadership reported.

Pidgin: For one City Boy Movement event for State House, Abuja, on Monday 19 October, President Tinubu talk say people don dey call am to ask wetin im pikin Seyi dey run for, and e answer say: “E dey run after im papa.” E praise Seyi say e organise young people without asking for any title or office, and e tell am make e do more and serve harder.

How this affects you: Seyi Tinubu holds no elected office, but the President's words show he is a central figure in the youth side of the 2027 re-election campaign. If you are a young voter, expect more contact from the movement through its call centre, outreach and street events before the January 2027 vote.

More on the movement: City Boy Movement: what it is, who leads it and latest news