Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, pending an independent investigation into allegations of a ₦400 million bribery scandal. He also questioned a ₦27.4 billion budget allocation linked to the controversy.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations of involvement in a ₦400 million bribery scandal. In a statement issued through the Atiku Media Office, the ADC presidential candidate said the allegations warrant an independent investigation in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Atiku’s call follows allegations made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who accused Gbajabiamila of involvement in the alleged bribery scandal. The former Vice President argued that explanations reportedly attributed to the Chief of Staff had raised additional concerns instead of resolving the matter.
He also questioned the inclusion of ₦27.4 billion in the 2026 national budget for the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), asking why such a large allocation was made to an agency whose existence has been disputed.
According to Atiku, the controversy extends beyond the bribery allegation and raises broader issues about fiscal accountability and public confidence in government institutions.
He maintained that allegations involving public funds should be subjected to transparent scrutiny and warned against dismissing the matter without an impartial investigation.
The former Vice President called on President Tinubu to suspend Gbajabiamila pending the outcome of an independent probe, insisting that public officials should be held to the same standard of accountability.
As of the time of reporting, neither the Presidency nor the Office of the Chief of Staff had issued an official response to Atiku’s latest demand.
The allegations have generated renewed political debate over accountability and public spending. Attention is now focused on whether the Presidency will respond to Atiku’s call or order any form of investigation into the claims.