President Bola Tinubu is reportedly facing increased pressure to remove his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, following new allegations implicating him in a fresh scandal.
Sources suggest that Gbajabiamila is under scrutiny for his alleged involvement in corrupt practices, adding to the challenges confronting the president’s administration.
The recent scandal revolves around Gbajabiamila’s purported role as one of the beneficiaries of corruption within the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) during Ahmed Kuru’s tenure.
According to a report by Special Investigator Jim Obazee, Gbajabiamila is accused of benefiting from Kuru’s largesse, particularly in the form of Ikoyi properties, during his tenure as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The report further suggests that Gbajabiamila was crucial in ensuring Kuru’s continued leadership at AMCON.
According to Sahara Reporters, the revelation has sparked calls for immediate action, with mounting pressure on President Tinubu to remove Gbajabiamila from his position as Chief of Staff.
“President Bola Tinubu is under pressure from some political associates, whom Kuru has soiled their white robes, including the Hon Femi Gbajabiamila (President’s Chief of Staff), who has benefitted from Ahmed Kuru’s largesse of Ikoyi properties from his days as Speaker of the House of Representatives,” a source in Aso Rock said.
The source noted, “Gbaja had persistently blocked Ahmed Kuru’s removal as AMCON’s Chief Executive after about nine years in office, over two terms of a democratically elected President.”
An independent investigator quoted in the report also said: “It is clear that the only organ of government that has resources for criminal and forensic investigation of economic and financial crimes is the EFCC.
“The Jim Obazee Special Investigating team has only managed to point to areas of infractions but has not succeeded in forensic tracing and following of the money.
“It can only be strategic that the government hand all the cases over to the EFCC, remove Ahmed Kuru from office and switch around a few Directors in the Central Bank who, without doubt, may be complicit with Godwin Emefiele in this criminal conduct.
“Otherwise, with those actors in positions, they will continue to obstruct the investigation. You can see the limitations of the Presidential Special Investigators in the CBN establishment.
“Otherwise, Yemi Cardoso (incumbent CBN Governor) will remain in an invisible walled hostage environment of Emefiele’s network in the CBN, as Gbaja has surrounded the President with whispers of half-truths.”
