Handshake With Pope: Kperogi Slams Seyi Tinubu For Being “Intolerably Intrusive”

As controversy continues to trail President Bola Tinubu son, Seyi’s brush with security at the Vatican on Sunday a popular social critic, Farooq KPerogi has taken a dig at Nigeria’s First Son describing his action “intolerably intrusive”.

According to Perogi, Seyi overreached himself by trying to have a hand shake with the Pope during a Special Mass to mark the beginning of Pope Leo’s XIV as the new Pontiff of the over 1.4  billion Catholics worldwide.

Was Seyi Tinubu trying to shake the pope after his father? Why does he need to be there? This young man is becoming intolerably intrusive,” kperogi said on his Facebook page.

The magazine reported that President Tinubu was among other heads of state and governments invited to the ceremony.

The president’s son was among the delegation to the Vatican for the ceremony, which also included Nigeria’s Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu.

According to a viral video, the president’s son had tried to have a hand-shake with the new Pontiff but was blocked by the security officials at the ceremony. Mixed reactions, from Nigerians have greeted the development amidst perceived intrusiveness of the president’s son in government affairs.

Seyi Tinubu is not an appointed official of the current government.

The incident happened during a special mass at the Vatican, held to mark the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church.

As the Nigerian president was led forward by two senior Catholic clerics to meet the Pope, Seyi Tinubu followed closely behind. However, a Vatican protocol officer stepped in and politely blocked him from moving closer to the Pope.

While President Tinubu exchanged greetings with the pontiff, his son was directed away, unable to shake hands or interact directly with the Pope.

Since his father assumed office, Seyi Tinubu has often been seen travelling with him on official trips. However, critics have raised questions about his presence at high-level events where he holds no official government role.

Meanwhile, not a few have criticised Seyi Tinubu for involving in many controversies since his father became Nigeria’s leader two years ago.

Recall that Seyi recently received serious backlash from not a few Nigerians after he described his father as the best president the country has ever had.