Seyi Tinubu, son of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was courteously stopped from greeting Pope Leo XIV during the Pontiff’s inauguration at the Vatican on Sunday, May 18.
The moment occurred during a special mass held to mark the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s tenure as the 267th Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. President Tinubu was among the world leaders in attendance at the high-profile ceremony.
In a now-viral video, President Tinubu is seen being led by two senior Catholic officials to exchange greetings with the newly elected pope. Seyi followed closely behind. However, just before he could approach the pontiff, a Vatican protocol officer stepped in and redirected him away from the greeting line. President Tinubu continued on to exchange pleasantries with Pope Leo XIV.
Seyi Tinubu tried to use his Daddy’s influence to famz the new Pope and got bounced. 😭 pic.twitter.com/pmJg8V6y2B
— Aji Bussu Onye Mpiawa azụ 🇨🇮 (@AfamDeluxo) May 18, 2025
Nigerians React Online
The video quickly made the rounds on social media, drawing a flurry of reactions from Nigerians.
“Dem bounce thief pickin,” one user commented on X (formerly Twitter), while another joked, “He thought it’s the gathering of NANS,” referencing past controversies involving Seyi and the National Association of Nigerian Students.
“E clear. No be everything be connections. Merit matters a lot,” another user added, echoing a popular sentiment about privilege and entitlement.
As of now, neither the Vatican nor the Nigerian presidency has issued a statement regarding the incident.