First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and her son, Seyi Tinubu, are reportedly locked in a quiet power struggle within President Bola Tinubu’s camp.
The alleged dispute centres on control of youth mobilisation wing for the president’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Aside from the youth mobilisation directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, the activities of two political support groups associated with the president’s family are in the centre of the controversy.
The two groups are the CityBoy Movement, founded by Seyi, and the Mummy’s Men Movement, launched by supporters of the First Lady.
The tensions became more pronounced following changes to the leadership structure of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, with competing interests allegedly emerging over who should lead its youth mobilisation efforts.
On Tuesday, the campaign council announced adjustments to its leadership structure, including the creation of a directorate for stage organisation and management and changes to the leadership of the youth mobilisation directorate.
In a statement signed by Imo State Governor and council secretary, Hope Uzodimma, the council appointed Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande as director of youth mobilisation and APC National Youth Leader Dayo Israel as his deputy.
However, a source familiar with the alleged disagreement claimed that the arrangement displeased the First Lady, who reportedly preferred Israel to head the directorate.
The source alleged that Olawande was viewed by the First Lady’s camp as being aligned with Seyi and his CityBoy Movement, which has been mobilising young people in support of President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
According to the source, efforts to elevate Israel to the position of director were partly motivated by a desire to limit Seyi’s growing influence within the president’s campaign structure.
Following the announcement of the campaign council’s appointments, AI-generated posters congratulating Israel on his purported promotion from deputy director to director of the presidential campaign council’s youth directorate circulated online.
Israel shared the posters on his X account, making comments about his position within the party’s leadership structure.
Responding to questions about whether he could rank above Olawande, a serving minister, Israel argued that his position as a member of the APC’s National Working Committee placed him above the minister in the party’s hierarchy.
“In political ranking, a National Working Committee member is senior to a minister or equivalent,” he said.
The reported disagreement also extends to the activities of the CityBoy Movement and the Mummy’s Men Movement.
Seyi’s CityBoy Movement has been organising political activities and mobilising supporters for Tinubu’s anticipated 2027 re-election campaign, with a particular focus on young Nigerians.
The Mummy’s Men Movement, meanwhile, emerged as another platform promoting support for the president’s second term, with Dayo Israel associated with the initiative as a convener.
In August, Israel announced the group on Facebook, describing it as a movement inspired by the First Lady and intended to mobilise support for President Tinubu.
“This is Mummy’s Men’s Movement. Inspired by First Lady Mrs Tinubu — Our Mummy,” he wrote.
He also clarified that the movement was open to women, young people and Nigerians across different age groups.
A source cited by Peoples Gazette alleged that the initiative was established partly to counter the growing influence of the CityBoy Movement.
“The First Lady does not like the CityBoy Movement and doesn’t want to have anything to do with it,” the source claimed.
The report also recounted an alleged incident during the commissioning of the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in August.
According to the source, the First Lady allegedly instructed her security detail to contact the state director of the Department of State Services, Atimibara Digitemie, to prevent members of the CityBoy Movement from attending the event.
The source claimed that members of the movement had planned to attend the commissioning because it coincided with the inauguration of the group’s officials in Ogun State.
The inauguration was subsequently rescheduled, according to the account.
President Tinubu’s public remarks about his son’s political activities have also been cited as another possible source of tension.
At a meeting with members of the CityBoy Movement at the State House, the president praised Seyi and his associates for their efforts to mobilise young people ahead of the 2027 election.
Tinubu described the initiative as a significant political undertaking, commending its organisers for building a support network without demanding official positions or titles.
“Now permit me a personal moment, with my son, Seyi. I have watched what you’ve started with City Boy,” the president said.
He continued, “You and your young colleagues, you are investing your time effectively. We are with you. Thank you. You did it humbly. You did not ask for a title or an office.”
The president also praised the movement’s organisational structure and membership.
“The CityBoy Movement, to all of you, you have done something new in Nigerian politics. You did not just gather people; you built a structure, millions of real, verifiable members,” Tinubu said.
The source alleged that the president’s public recognition of the movement angered the First Lady, who reportedly felt that Seyi’s organisation was receiving undue recognition for its role in building youth support for the president’s re-election.
The source further claimed that the First Lady’s political engagements and donations were part of broader efforts to strengthen her own support network and counter the influence of the CityBoy Movement.
The developing events coincide with earlier warnings by party members.
Three days ago, Senator Ali Ndume warned that internal disagreements and personal interests among APC members posed a greater threat to the party than opposition groups seeking to challenge Tinubu at the polls.
Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he backed Vice President Kashim Shettima’s concerns about divisions within the ruling party.
The senator argued that the APC’s difficulties stemmed partly from the conduct of members who prioritised personal interests over the party’s collective objectives.
Explaining why he did not wear Tinubu’s crested cap, Ndume criticised politicians who publicly professed loyalty to the president while allegedly acting against his interests behind the scenes.
“It’s not that I don’t like Tinubu’s crested cap. You don’t have to fake the liking of somebody. You wear that cap in the afternoon and trample upon it in the night?” he said.
He added, “Many of them are doing that. You don’t have to show that you like somebody. It’s within you.”
Ndume maintained that the ruling party had a strong political platform but was being undermined by those responsible for promoting it.
“We have a product. The marketers are not honest. Those that are supposed to sell our product are busy caring so much about themselves, not about selling their product,” he said.
The senator also argued that the opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, were not the APC’s biggest challenge.
“I think the Vice President was just blunt. We have more problems within than without because, seeing that the opposition, quite alright, they are both resilient, tough and talking big, but it’s not the major problem,” Ndume said.
Speaking at the unveiling of the campaign head office of Arewa for Asiwaju, a northern coalition supporting the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, the vice president said internal disagreements concerned him more than the opposition’s political strength.
“Honestly, I am not afraid of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I am not afraid of a diminished Peter Obi. But I am more afraid of internal contradictions within our household,” Shettima said.
He added, “If we unite as a people, as a family, we will conquer.”
The vice president also warned political leaders against supporting Tinubu’s presidential campaign while working against APC governors seeking re-election or other party candidates contesting state-level elections.
“There is no point in championing the cause of the presidential election and then undermining the governor in the gubernatorial election. Honestly, it will not go down well with the system,” he said.
