The Former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an independent investigation into fresh corruption allegations against President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
In a statement issued by the Atiku Media Office and shared by Paul Ibe on X on Tuesday, the former vice president said the allegations were too serious to be ignored.
The former Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate insisted that public officials should be held accountable regardless of their position.
His reaction followed a report by Peoples Gazette alleging that Gbajabiamila illegally diverted oil and gas royalties from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission through a purportedly unlawful presidential approval.
According to Atiku, the matter transcends politics and should be addressed in the interest of accountability.
“This issue goes beyond partisan politics; it’s about the impunity of corruption that undermines the welfare and future of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
The former vice president accused the Federal Government of applying different standards in its anti-corruption campaign.
“This level of corruption is unprecedented, and the government can’t pretend to be prosecuting opposition figures for corruption, while corruption is growing like weeds under its own nose,” he said.
Atiku argued that the Chief of Staff should be subjected to the same standards as other public officials facing corruption allegations.
“You can’t preach the rule of law when your own officials are awarded with the trophy of untouchability,” he said.
He added, “Gbajabiamila must be held accountable like every other public official and independently investigated to give him a full opportunity to defend himself against the brazen act of corruption as detailed in the Gazette report.”
The ADC presidential candidate also cited the suspension of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, under the Muhammadu Buhari administration as a precedent.
“Former President Buhari suspended his SGF, Babachir Lawal, from office to allow for an unfettered investigation, and Gbajabiamila shouldn’t be treated differently,” he said.
Atiku further alleged that the Tinubu administration had failed to respond adequately to allegations involving senior government officials.
He said, “Given the apathetic and lackadaisical attitude of the Tinubu administration to the gale of corruption scandals against the Chief of Staff, it’s apparent that the government is just going through the motions to fool Nigerians.
He added, “Democracy is public service, and when political office holders prioritise the amassing of personal wealth while ordinary people are dying of hunger and preventable diseases, the Tinubu administration cannot pretend to be serving the people.”
Gbajabiamila has not publicly commented on the allegations contained in the Peoples Gazette report, and the claims have not been independently verified.
(The Whistler)