The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and allow an independent investigation into fresh corruption allegations against him, saying the President should follow the example set by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Atiku Media Office, the former vice president said silence and inaction would not make the allegations against Gbajabiamila disappear.
Reacting to a report by the Gazette alleging that the Chief of Staff illegally diverted tens of billions of naira in oil and gas royalties, Atiku said the allegations should be thoroughly investigated.
“This issue goes beyond partisan politics; it’s about the impunity of corruption that undermines the welfare and future of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of applying double standards in its anti-corruption campaign, alleging that opposition figures were being targeted while government officials were being protected.
“This level of corruption is unprecedented, and the government can’t pretend to be prosecuting opposition figures for corruption, while corruption is growing like weed under its own nose,” he said.
He also said, “You can’t preach the rule of law when your own officials are awarded with the trophy of untouchability.”
The former vice president insisted that Gbajabiamila should be given the opportunity to clear his name through an independent investigation.
“Gbajabiamila must be held accountable like every other public official and independently investigated to give him full opportunity to defend himself against the brazen act of corruption as detailed in the Gazette report,” Atiku said.
Drawing a comparison with the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku noted that Buhari suspended then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, to allow investigations into allegations against him.
“Former President Buhari suspended his SGF Babachir Lawal from office in order to allow for unfettered investigation against him and Gbajabiamila shouldn’t be treated differently,” he said.
Atiku further claimed that Gbajabiamila had been linked to several allegations over the years, including alleged bribery and corruption claims, and criticised what he described as the Federal Government’s handling of the controversies.
“Given the apathetic and lackadaisical attitude of the Tinubu administration to the gales of corruption scandals against the Chief of Staff, it’s apparent that the government is just going through the motions to fool Nigerians,” he said.
He added, “Democracy is public service and when political office holders prioritise the amassing of personal wealth while the ordinary people are dying of hunger and preventable diseases, the Tinubu administration cannot pretend to be serving the people.”
The controversy involves an agency of the government, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). The Presidency has previously denied wrongdoing by Gbajabiamila, while President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate issues surrounding the fake agency.
Separately, Gbajabiamila has denied allegations linking him to the scandal and filed a ₦10 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who later withdrew some of his claims against the Chief of Staff.