Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an independent investigation into allegations of corruption involving President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, insisting that the controversy cannot be ignored.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja, the former Vice President said the allegations, which he described under the hashtag #GbajaGate, deserved a transparent probe rather than silence. He argued that the Tinubu administration appeared willing to pursue opposition figures over corruption while allegedly shielding its own officials.
Atiku maintained that allowing the matter to fade without investigation would undermine public confidence, stressing that silence, indifference and the passage of time would not erase the allegations against the President’s Chief of Staff.
According to the statement, Atiku was reacting to media reports alleging that Gbajabiamila unlawfully diverted tens of billions of naira in oil and gas royalties from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) by relying on what was described as a fake law to obtain presidential approval.
The ADC presidential candidate said he was “baffled by such level of large-scale corruption and the impunity that legitimises it.”
He argued that the issue transcended politics, saying it reflected the culture of impunity that continued to undermine the welfare and future of ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku further alleged that the Federal Government could not credibly claim to be fighting corruption while ignoring allegations involving senior officials within its own ranks.
He also accused the government of applying double standards in its anti-corruption campaign.
“You can’t preach the rule of law when your own officials are awarded with the trophy of untouchability,” he said.
Atiku insisted that Gbajabiamila should face the same level of scrutiny as every other public office holder accused of wrongdoing.
According to him, “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.”
Drawing comparisons with the administration of late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku recalled that former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, was suspended to allow investigations into allegations against him.
He said, “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.”
The former Vice President also listed previous allegations he claimed had trailed the President’s Chief of Staff over the years, including an alleged $25,000 theft case in Georgia, United States, which he said resulted in Gbajabiamila’s debarment, allegations of bribery linked to appointments, a reported ₦400 million PFIPC bribery allegation, and the latest claim involving an alleged illegal diversion of ₦54 billion from an oil and gas regulatory agency.
Atiku further criticised what he described as the Federal Government’s lack of urgency in addressing the various allegations.
According to him, “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 also said public office should be about service rather than personal enrichment.
“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,” Atiku stated.
The latest allegations stem from a report by People’s Gazette, which alleged that Gbajabiamila unlawfully secured tens of billions of naira in oil and gas royalties from the NUPRC after citing a non-existent law for presidential approval.
According to the report, Gbajabiamila allegedly drafted a memo requesting that four per cent of the Commission’s annual revenue collection be divided into two portions – 2.5 per cent for operational and routine capital expenditure, and 1.5 per cent for capital expenditure.
The report further claimed that the provision setting aside the 1.5 per cent allocation, estimated at ₦54 billion, was vaguely described as funding for the “upgrading of crude oil and gas metering and transparency systems.”
As of the time the report was filed, neither the Presidency nor Gbajabiamila had responded to the allegations contained in Atiku’s statement.
