By Mahmoud
Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations of a N400 million bribery scandal and questions around a N27.4 billion budgetary allocation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Atiku Media Office, the former VP said the President must demonstrate accountability by ensuring that public officials answer for allegations levelled against them.
Atiku was reacting to claims made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC. Adeyemi’s allegations have become the basis of the renewed political push against Gbajabiamila.
Atiku said Gbajabiamila’s reported assertion that the PFIPC “does not exist” raised further concerns. He argued that denying the agency’s existence while funds were allegedly tied to it creates credibility problems.
The ADC candidate questioned how N27.4 billion could be allocated in the national budget to an agency allegedly described by the Chief of Staff as non-existent. He said the figure itself demands public clarification.
“The Chief of Staff’s claim only created more problems for the government,” Atiku said. He argued that budgeting N27.4 billion for an agency said to be non-existent “puts question marks on the credibility of the entire 2026 national budget.”
Alongside the budget query, Atiku referenced allegations of a N400 million bribery scandal involving Gbajabiamila. The statement did not provide new evidence, but urged an investigation into the claim.
Atiku’s core demand is that Gbajabiamila be suspended pending investigation. He said public trust requires that anyone facing serious allegations step aside to allow scrutiny without interference.
The former VP said the controversy goes beyond one official, because it touches the integrity of the 2026 Appropriation Act. He warned that unanswered questions could erode confidence in how public funds are planned and spent.
As of press time, the Chief of Staff’s office had not issued a detailed public response to Atiku’s suspension call or to the specific N400m bribery allegation. The Presidency has also not commented on the matter.
The status of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council remains contested in the exchange. Adeyemi maintains the council exists and has a mandate, while Gbajabiamila is reported to have said otherwise.
With the 2027 election cycle approaching, Atiku’s intervention raises the political temperature around budget oversight and ethics in the presidency. The call puts pressure on the Tinubu administration to address the allegations transparently or risk further opposition attacks.
About The Author
