Tunde Onakoya Responds To Critics, Says Visit To Tinubu Was Apolitical

Tunde Onakoya, Nigeria’s chess sensation and global record-breaker, has spoken up following a wave of online criticism over his recent visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His message? Recognition is not allegiance, and his mission remains bigger than politics.

The founder of Chess in Slums Africa and freshly minted Guinness World Record holder took to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday to set the record straight, saying he had no political ambitions or affiliations—only a deep-seated resolve to uplift Nigerian youth through education and chess.

“I’ll say a few things. The anger, the hate, the love, the applause, the criticism – all of it is valid and I embrace it,” he began in a strikingly honest post. “I am a world record holder, which means I have attained something no one else in the world has ever done. I was recently honoured and awarded by the City of New York.”

Onakoya, who turned heads globally with his 60-hour chess marathon, emphasized that being acknowledged by Nigeria’s highest office is not a betrayal of his values. “It’s laughable to compare my visit to people accepting awards from countries committing atrocities. I’ve turned down several awards before. But this? This was for the children we fight for.”

He reminded critics that the same system people rail against must also be engaged if real, lasting change is to occur. “We’re not going to transform this country by boycotting every corridor of power. Some doors must be entered—not to dine, but to deliver,” one supporter paraphrased in solidarity.

For Onakoya, the real game is still on the board: using chess to change lives, rewrite stories, and shift narratives—one pawn, one child, one opportunity at a time.

“To be honoured and received by the President and the highest office in my own country, for this reason, is not a crime. (It is not even a national honour, by the way.)

“I have declined many awards. Comparing me to people who have received awards and recognition from countries that have committed war crimes is, at best, laughable.

“I have no interest in partisan politics because of the sensitivity of the work that I do. If that ever changes, then I would resign my role as CEO of Chess in Slums Africa.”

His words came as a reminder that systemic issues may be the backdrop, but the organisation’s impact goes beyond temporary relief. From train stations to public schools, Onakoya’s initiative has given hundreds of children a mental map out of poverty — a strategy board where their next move could change everything.

As criticism flared over his visit to the president, some voices accused him of benefiting from the same governance failures he claims to challenge. Onakoya, however, pushed back against the narrative, saying it’s a disservice to the years of grit and grassroots effort that have powered his work.

He said, “The rhetoric that Chess in Slums only exists or is relevant because of bad governance is not accurate. The real impact of our work is in the synapses. We’re using chess as a tool to teach cognition and improve academic outcomes. Using it as a social intervention tool is because those children have fallen through the cracks and cannot make it to the classrooms. This is not charity or ‘NGO’.

“What most of you measure as the most tangible impact is us just dignifying the stories of the children you see all the time on the streets but pay no attention to. The real impact here is ensuring they have the critical capacity to think for themselves and putting them through formal or vocational education.

“I continue to consult with educational institutions and tech companies around the world, so my work will always be relevant, and whatever resources or influence that gives me, I will use all of it to serve the children who deserve a place in the world as well.

“A visit is not an endorsement. I will visit many more people and will continue to sell my chess boards.

“You may not understand my intentions or character because the only thing you know about me is what I let on social media. But reputation is not character. It’s been ten long years of staying with this one thing, so I know for a fact that I have earned the benefit of the doubt.