By Emmanuel Thomas l Wednesday, July 15.26
ABUJA — Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has declared that the gravity of the unfolding corruption allegations against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, is too massive to be swept under the carpet.
Atiku, who was reacting to a recent investigative report by the Peoples Gazette, accused the Tinubu administration of running a selective anti-corruption campaign. He noted that while the government actively persecutes opposition figures, it continues to shield its own high-ranking officials from accountability.
In a strongly-worded statement issued by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja, the ADC standard-bearer asserted that “silence, indifference, and the passage of time” cannot erase the heavy allegations hanging over the President’s top aide.
The Allegation: N54 Billion Oil Royalty Scandal
The fresh round of criticism follows a report accusing Gbajabiamila of illegally cornering tens of billions of naira (estimated at over ₦54 billion) in oil and gas royalties from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The report alleges that the Chief of Staff procured presidential approval for the diversion by citing a non-existent, “fake” law.
Expressing deep concern over the development, Atiku remarked:
”This issue goes beyond partisan politics; it’s about the impunity of corruption that undermines the welfare and future of ordinary Nigerians.
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 warned the administration against creating double standards in public accountability: “You can’t preach the rule of law when your own officials are awarded with the trophy of untouchability.”
The Call for Suspension and Investigation
To ensure a transparent process, Atiku demanded that Gbajabiamila step down from office immediately.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to look to history and apply the same standard of discipline used by his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, who suspended his Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, to allow for an unhindered investigation into the “grass-cutting” contract scandal.
”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 added.
He argued that keeping Gbajabiamila in his powerful office while any investigation is conducted would compromise the integrity of the process.
A Pattern of Allegations: The Background
This is not the first time the President’s Chief of Staff has faced intense public scrutiny. Atiku’s media office detailed a laundry list of past controversies that continue to shadow Gbajabiamila’s political career:
The Georgia Debarment (USA): The long-standing controversy surrounding his sanctioning by the State Bar of Georgia for allegedly withholding $25,000 belonging to a client.
Bribe-for-Appointments: Rumblings within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the alleged commercialization of federal appointments.
The PFIPC/N400m Bribery Scandal: The ongoing controversy involving the “Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council” (PFIPC) — a body the presidency recently labeled a fake agency, despite it reportedly securing a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 budget.
An individual associated with the agency, Adeniyi Adeyemi, accused Gbajabiamila’s network of demanding a ₦400 million bribe alongside 48% of the agency’s take-off grant.
Allegations:
NUPRC Royalties: Diversion of oil and gas royalties via “fake law”₦54 Billion, Subject of current Peoples Gazette report
PFIPC Appointment
Alleged bribe-for-appointment and grant-splitting₦400 Million
ICPC ordered to probe; “DG” Adeyemi arrested
Bribe-for-Office
Directing federal board slots to highest bidders
Various Internal party complaints
Georgia Client Funds
Professional misconduct during legal practice in the US$25,000Led to disciplinary action by GA State Bar
“Ordinary Nigerians Are Dying of Hunger”
Atiku concluded by calling out the wider systemic failure of the current administration, linking the high-level graft to the crushing economic hardship faced by everyday citizens.
”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,” Atiku declared.
“Democracy is public service. When political office holders prioritize 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.”
Backgrounding the Story (For Context)
The escalating clash over “GbajaGate” highlight a growing political crisis within the Presidency.
The current ₦54 billion oil royalty allegation lands just as the government is struggling to contain the fallout from the PFIPC scandal.
While President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the PFIPC’s origins and its self-proclaimed Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, critics point out that the presidency has tried to fast-track its own judgment.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga had previously declared the PFIPC a complete fiction and exonerated Gbajabiamila.
However, public policy analysts have questioned how a “fake” agency managed to secure a ₦1.3 billion allocation under the Presidency’s budget in the signed 2026 Appropriation Act.
For the opposition, spearheaded by Atiku, the administration’s refusal to suspend Gbajabiamila while these federal agencies conduct their investigations remains the ultimate proof of selective justice.
