By Jack Okude
Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, is up and about; touring Nigeria from north to south, east and west. The First Son of Nigeria has been full of doings. He has done welfare and other humanitarian services. If he wasn’t paying school fees, he’s offsetting hospital bills of indigent Nigerians across tribes and tongues.
In this 4th Republic and probably beyond, he stands out as the most visible First Son. However good intentioned his actions have been, some Nigerians have deprecated him for being excessive and too visible on the nation’s public circuit even when he was not the one elected as President. They argue that he is usurping state powers and undermining the duties of official appointees of his father, including those of Vice President Kashim Shettima who ran and won election on a joint ticket with the president.
Yet, there are some Nigerians who support Seyi Tinubu’s socio-political adventure. They argue that as an adult, Seyi has a right of association, liberty to frolic with Nigerians of his choice and as a member of the First Family, is entitled to privileges that accrue to his father. He cannot be denied the love, care and support of his father just because he’s the President.
Whichever way, the argument swings, it’s expedient to interrogate historical antecedents from other lands with stronger and longer democratic cultures. The United States runs one of the world’s oldest democracies and its democracy has been fraught with quirks and oddities that strip it of imperfection. American democracy has also presented strong attributes that make democracy rank as the best form of government especially with its safety valves of checks and balances.
How has First Children of US Presidential families fared over the years? Were there cases where First Children became real assets for their fathers while they were presidents? Or cases that mirror Seyi Tinubu’s disposition and behaviour during his father’s presidency?
Joshua Kendall, editor, writer, political watcher and authority on US politics, in his book, First Dads: Parenting And Politics From George Washington to Barack Obama, provides deep insights into roles played by some First children who helped their fathers in office while they minded the business of America from the Oval Office. Kendall’s no-holds-barred 391-page book painted the picture of some children as assets and others as liabilities to their fathers.
Kendall wrote in his 2016 article in the PolitiCo magazine: “In every presidential contest since 1789, the American people have been elevating to power not just one person but an entire family, usually including several adult children. These children aren’t forced to debate each other; they don’t release their financial or health records, or face endless scrutiny on their policy positions—and yet a tour through history shows that they sometimes turn out to have a significant impact on the presidency. Some have provided valuable assistance to their fathers and the nation, serving as trusted advisers or surrogates.”
On this list of First Children is John Quincy Adams, eldest son of John Adams (second US President), who became US president in 1797 at 61, succeeding George Washington. President Adams appointed his eldest son minister to Prussia (German territory which later aided America in the Revolutionary War). This infuriated the Republican opposition. The President was setting a dangerous precedent by giving a job to a family member, they raged. As soon as the dust settled, the young Adams went to work and under his father, he renewed a treaty with Prussia and went on, under later presidents, to play a key role in ending the War of 1812. The young Adams was so smart that even George Washington never hid his admiration for him. He would later become the sixth president of the United States, making him the first President’s son to later become the President.
President Rutherford B. Hayes (19th US President) appointed his second son, Webb, at just 20 years old at the time, as his private secretary after President Hayes took office in 1877. Webb later became an incredible asset to his father including playing the role of official greeter at White House social functions—a duty typically served by the Marshal of the District of Columbia. That position was then occupied by Frederick Douglass, a black slave, who was resented by southerners. To avoid further resentment, Webb took on the role of greeter. Webb’s political career grew and he later served in three wars—the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War and First World War—and won the Congressional Medal of Honour.
And then there was Anna Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s (FDR) daughter, who was said to have saved the president’s (her father) life. In 1944, the 37-year-old mother of three, working as a journalist in Seattle, moved to Washington to settle into the Lincoln Suite and become her father’s unpaid personal assistant. From being close to her father, Anna noticed that Dr. Ross McIntire, the president’s personal physician, had not been monitoring FDR’s blood pressure regularly. At her request, the sickly president was moved to Bethesda Naval Hospital for a full medical check. FDR was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and proper medication was then administered.
Anna became her father’s constant companion, confidante and gatekeeper, and as such “wielded enormous influence.” It was said that Anna convinced her father to choose Harry Truman rather than Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas as his next vice-president, prompting Life magazine to assert: “Daddy’s girl is running Daddy.” Anna became part of FDR’s international trips and diplomatic shuttles and was reported to have helped the terminally ill FDR function at a high-level even in his dying days.
President Bill Clinton’s only child, Chelsea Clinton, according to those close to the Clintons, “shapes almost every significant decision her parents make.” Donald Trump in his first term in office has four adult children, all trusted members of his inner circle. Ivanka Trump served as a surrogate and adviser on the campaign trail.
In Nigeria, Seyi has stepped up the dais. He is building bridges, making friends for his father and connecting with Nigerians especially the youths. What he is doing is historical. Nigerians did not have to vote for him before he could make friends and connect with Nigerians. Besides, it is within his remit, a successful businessman, an adult and a freeborn citizen of Nigeria to move round the country to meet with old friends and make new ones. His actions are nationalistic. He did not pander to any particular ethnic or religious group. He is a friend of one and all. His hand of friendship stretches across social strata, across religion and across ethnic nationalities. This is who he is. A nationalist who loves his country and its people. The fact that he’s the First Son should not strip him of his humanity. It is not his fault that he came from a privileged family. He has not broken any law by making friends of all tribes and tongues. Being the son or daughter of a President should not be a curse. First children in older and more sophisticated democracies have been known to become integral parts of their father’s inner cabinet and think-tank. Seyi Tinubu is working hard to help his father build a better Nigeria as did other children in other democracies. Critics should take a break and offer suggestions on how to deliver value in the nation’s young democracy. Most of these critics would do worse things if they were in Seyi’s shoes.
Okude, public policy analyst, writes from Jalingo