By Desire Emmanuel
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday, June 30, told President Bola Tinubu to lead by example by ordering the suspension and eventual probe of his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over a N400 million bribery allegation.
Atiku said this in a statement by his media office while reacting to the N400 million bribery allegation against Gbajabiamila by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Atiku explained that Gbajabiamila’s claim that the agency didn’t exist has only created more credibility gaps for the Chief of Staff.
According to Atiku: “How can you allocate N27.4 billion in the budget to a government agency that doesn’t exist without leaving more questions than answers.”
The ADC presidential candidate explained that the Chief of Staff’s claim only created more problems for the government.
According to him, allocating N27.4 billion to an agency that doesn’t exist puts questions marks on credibility of the entire 2026 budget.
Atiku said this alleged colossal budgetary fraud cannot be swept under the carpet by weak and unconvincing explanations by the Chief of Staff.
The former vice president recommended that the Chief of Staff should be suspended and an independent investigation be carried out to establish the whole truth about what he described as ‘a national scandal.’
“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. N27 billion is not a joke.
“The rule of law must prevail in this issue. Let President Tinubu prove to Nigerians that he is sincerely committed to accountability in his administration,” he advised.
