According to Channels Television, the Presidency has reacted to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's criticism of the contract awarding process for the coastal route between Lagos and Calabar, supporting Seyi Tinubu's ability to pursue commercial interests within the law. The President accused Atiku of being a hypocrite on matters of national concern, especially those pertaining to conflicts of interest, in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Advisor to the President on Information and Strategy.
In regards to the contract awarded to Hitech Construction Business Ltd., Atiku brought up Seyi Tinubu's directorship of CDK Integrated Industries, a division of the Chagoury Group, Hitech's parent company.
Onanuga refuted Atiku's assertions, stating that Seyi Tinubu's relationship with CDK began in 2018, long before his father, Bola Tinubu, became president. He underlined that Seyi's appointment to the CDK board was not motivated by family ties, but rather by representing the interests of an investment business.
The statement emphasized Atiku's previous record of sustaining commercial relationships, citing his work with Intels Nigeria during his tenure in the Nigeria Customs Service. It claimed that while Atiku was vice president and chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, he approved the sale of state-owned businesses to friends.
In response to Atiku's claim that the Chagourys are the owners of CDK, Onanuga said that General TY Danjuma (rtd) is the company's chairman and largest stakeholder, with the Chagoury family owning minority shares. He denied allegations of conflict of interest, raising concerns about how Seyi Tinubu's position on the CDK board may be in contradiction with Hitech Construction Company's participation in the coastal project between Lagos and Calabar.