Abati, who was a media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, expressed his view on Wednesday, on Arise TV’s “The Morning Show” which he co-anchors with fellow journalists Oseni Rufai and two others.
He also as described disturbing a situation where Tinubu’s sons were reportedly put before ministers on protocol list during Tinubu’s recent trip to Qatar.
“May we begin to ask, What do the president’s children do for a living? I don’t know specifically how old they are but looking at them, by the time I was their age, I was doing something concrete with my life. I got a PhD at 24. I wasn’t depending on any father,” he said.
He also chastised Tinubu for sending Yinka and Seyi on his team’s recent visit to Qatar, and granting them diplomatic precedence over his ministers.
On March 2 and 3, 2024, the president’s sons Seyi and Yinka were part of the delegation that accompanied the president on a state visit to Doha, Qatar.
Abati said, “What I am saying is that first Nigerians complain that they should not have been on that list, the issue raised there is that yes if their father is paying for them to be there, fine. I also raised the question if they have relevant qualifications, if they are business people in their own rights, they can bring investment and they will make contributions.
“Then you will say they have a reason to be there, What I found disturbing in that video that we just showed, we just showed the order of protocol, I spent four years studying diplomacy. They were coming on the order of protocol before the minister of the Federal Republic, what are their roles there that they will be put before the minister?
He further noted, “People must get to a stage in their lives when they will hold themselves together, I don’t want adults behaving like invalids hanging around just because your father is in a position.
“All these children of privilege sometimes overdo it, and these are boys that would probably have wives at home. Some of these girls, what they go through is very embarrassing. You can’t have a husband that’s just hanging around, that cannot stand on his two feet as a man.’’
