Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to allow an independent investigation into corruption allegations against him, drawing parallels with former President Muhammadu Buhari’s suspension of ex-Secretary to the Government (SGF) of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, in 2017.
In a statement issued yesterday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said the allegations surrounding Gbajabiamila were too serious to be ignored. He argued that suspending the Chief of Staff would ensure an “unfettered” investigation, just as Buhari did when Babachir Lawal faced corruption allegations while serving as SGF.
Atiku said he was alarmed by reports alleging that Gbajabiamila illegally diverted tens of billions of Naira in oil and gas royalties from the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) through the use of a purportedly non-existent law. He maintained that the allegations raise fundamental questions about accountability and transparency in government.
The former vice-president accused the Tinubu administration of applying double standards in its anti-corruption campaign, saying it could not claim to be fighting corruption while allegedly shielding senior government officials from scrutiny. He insisted that Gbajabiamila should be given the opportunity to clear his name through an independent investigation rather than being protected from public accountability.
Atiku also referenced recent allegations involving the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), where Gbajabiamila has been accused of receiving a ₦400 million bribe linked to an appointment letter. He argued that these and other claims warrant a thorough probe, stressing that “you can’t preach the rule of law when your own officials are awarded the trophy of untouchability”.
