Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has asked President Bola Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over a ₦400 million bribery scandal.
The allegation was brought forward by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, Atiku argued that the suspension is necessary to allow for an independent investigation into the claims and a related budgetary controversy.
Recall that prior to the allegation, Gbajabiamila had in a statement claimed that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council does not exist.
However, Atiku pointed out that the federal government had allocated ₦27.4 billion to the exact same agency in the 2026 national budget. The former Vice President noted that this contradiction creates massive credibility gaps for the Chief of Staff and raises serious questions about the integrity of the entire national budget.
Atiku warned the presidency against sweeping the alleged colossal budgetary fraud under the carpet using weak and unconvincing defenses. He urged President Tinubu to prioritize the rule of law over personal relationships and to hold his close political appointees to the highest standards of transparency.
“How can you allocate ₦27.4 billion in the budget to a government agency that doesn’t exist without leaving more questions than answers,” Atiku questioned in the statement. “Good governance is based on transparency and accountability and you can’t achieve that by protecting your family and friends. President Tinubu must lead by example by holding his Chief of Staff to the same standards of accountability as other public officials. ₦27 billion is not a joke,” he added.