Dons Eze
NORTHERNERS SLAM TINUBU’S SON, SEYI, FOR DISTRIBUTING STREET FOOD AS RAMADAN AID
A video showing food packages featuring the images of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his son, Seyi Tinubu, has caused a storm of backlash across northern Nigeria.
The food, which was distributed during the Ramadan fasting period, includes a variety of street food staples, including Danwake—a popular dish made from dough, bean flour, and potash.
The video, which has been circulating widely on social media, shows the food packaged in plastic bags adorned with pictures of President Tinubu and Seyi.
The video’s narrator expresses anger, calling the gesture “an insult” and questioning the sincerity of the distribution.
“This is an insult, Allah! It is rice and Danwake and they said it’s from Seyi Tinubu, this is an insult and imagine they said it’s for Iftar,” the narrator says in the video, highlighting the discontent that has grown over the food packages being presented as Ramadan gifts.
In northern Nigeria, Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, fasting, and charity. However, for many in the region, it has also become a deep economic struggle.
The region has long faced significant economic challenges, which are worsened by the nation’s overall economic decline, insecurity, and lack of basic infrastructure.
Many people in northern Nigeria grapple with severe poverty, unemployment, power outages, and lack of access to clean water, making the delivery of street food in plastic bags by a prominent political figure seem tone-deaf, if not outright exploitative.
Danwake, which is a common street food made from a mixture of bean flour or wheat flour, potash, and baobab leaves, is not typically viewed as a luxury or special meal.
Instead, it is a staple of everyday street food vendors in the region. The choice to package and distribute this food—along with images of the Tinubu family—has angered many who see it as an opportunistic attempt to buy favour amid growing frustrations with the current government.
The controversy follows Seyi Tinubu’s visit to Minna, the capital of Niger State, on March 5, 2025, where he was seen distributing food packages to youths during the Ramadan Iftar period.
Many accuse Seyi of trying to gain public support for his father’s re-election campaign by exploiting the fasting period for political gain.
Many northern Nigerians took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction, questioning the authenticity of Seyi’s visit and the sincerity behind the food distribution.
For instance, Mohammed Alh. Sanni, a prominent social media user, expressed his discontent, saying, “When asked… ‘What is the true purpose of Seyi Tinubu visiting Minna?’ He was claiming he’s coming for Iftar. When did Seyi Tinubu become a Muslim? Or is he using the fasting period as a convenient tool to gain access to you people?”
