Amid economic hardship that has seen food prices spike astronomically in the country, Seyi Tinubu, son of the Nigerian president who flaunted unbridled opulence in recent months, has urged Nigerians to have faith in his father, President Bola Tinubu, while expressing support for his father’s government.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Mr Tinubu, who once flaunted a Richard Mille RM 055 luxury watch worth $550,000 or N825 million at N1,500 to a dollar, begged impoverished Nigerians to support his father’s government.

“There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago,” he quoted his father to have said. “I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.” 

Then, he went on to rally Nigerians to support his father with hashtags #HaveFaithinHim, #NigeriaisinGreatHands, #OurGenerationwillYieldthefruitsofthishardship, #IStandwithOurPresident, #RenewedHope, #NigeriaismyHome. 

But his entreaties failed to appeal to some of his followers on Instagram, who asked if faith in Mr Tinubu’s government would pay their bills or feed them.

“Na faith we go use buy foodstuffs and pay bills?” said @ololade.

Another follower, @empresstok, said, “How far are u enduring? You can say that to the masses cos you are not in their shoes.”

Last year, the president’s son was criticised for flying a presidential jet to watch a polo match in Kano in 2023 as Nigerians grapple with economic hardship. 

His statement came as Nigerians in Ibadan hit the streets in protests over the high cost of living under Mr Tinubu on Monday, with chants of ‘Tinubu ole!‘ rending the air.

Placards-carrying protesters at Mokola Roundabout remonstrated on the street with inscriptions like ‘End food price hike’ and ‘This is not Hope Renewed. This is shege renewed’.

“Tinubu is thief! Tinubu is thief!” the protesters hurled their opprobrium toward the president in a video posted on X.

Similar protests had rocked Niger, Kano, Osun and Lagos (Mr Tinubu’s home state), protesting hunger and other hardships.

In the past nine months, prices of staple foods have spiked almost 100 per cent as inflation ravages the Nigerian economy. 

A market survey conducted at Mararaba Market, Nasarawa, by Peoples Gazette on February 7 showed that prices of most food items have increased by almost 100 per cent compared to what was obtainable last May. 

Inflation accelerated after President Bola Tinubu’s sudden announcement of the removal of the petrol subsidy in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, followed later by the CBN’s policy of floating the naira.

Though lauded by experts, the duo policies of Mr Tinubu have seen petrol prices rise from N145 per litre to N630, while the naira plunges against the naira in the parallel market, trading at about N1,500 to $1.