Guinness World record holder and Chess In Slum convener, Tunde Onakoya, has faced backlash for visiting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his Lagos residence
On Monday evening, Onakoya was warmly received by the president, who smiled broadly as he posed with Tunde while proudly holding up the custom Guinness World Record plaque and chess set that had been presented to him.
In a heartfelt caption shared on his official Instagram page, President Tinubu wrote: “I received Tunde Onakoya, founder of Chess in Slums Africa, at my residence today where he also presented his World Record for the longest Chess Marathon.
“Tunde’s journey, from the streets of Lagos to uplifting underserved children and breaking world records, reflects the resilience and brilliance of Nigeria’s youth.”
He went on to praise Tunde’s inspiring work through Chess in Slums Africa, describing it as a movement that’s not only opening minds but also transforming entire communities.
“Through chess, he opens minds and transforms lives in communities that are too often overlooked,”he continued.
“I would love to see how his work can be replicated nationwide and I am looking forward to seeing him in Abuja to hear how the government can support him.
“Tunde Onakoya’s vision aligns with our administration’s: no child left behind, no talent wasted.
“Nigeria is proud of him, and we will walk with him.”
In response,Tunde replied with a simple message: “Thank you for the great honor and kind reception your excellency sir 🙏🏾🇳🇬❤️”
The visit generated heated reactions online with many Nigerians condemning Onakoya for visiting the president
One X user, Amarachi Ochiawuto, : “I will take him serious when I see his tweets when Chief Priest and co went to visit , all these gaslighting and selective criticism won’t work again, it’s democracy live and let live!”
Another user, vicci.808 remarked: “It’s easy to criticize bad governance… unless you’re benefiting from it. Still trying to figure out how that second slide fits into this conversation.”
incredibleabs wrote: “When I said Nigerians don’t really want good goveranance but rather power that benefits them, this is exactly the kind of example I meant. You call yourself a philanthropist who cares about children in slums, yet you visited the very man whose party has thrown over 20 million more at risk of dying from malnutrition. If you truly cared about those children, you wouldn’t be visiting Tinubu, you’d have told him to meet you in the slums. That’s where the children are. That’s where the suffering is. But of course, optics and recongnition matter more than principle these days”