In recent times, Olufemi Abdulhakeem Gbajabiamila’s name has emerged as one of the most commonly cited across Nigeria’s print and electronic media-social media included-not merely because he is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, but also because he was caught in a web of an unfortunate controversy that latest findings and disclosures have since exonerated him, as we shall examine shortly.
Before diving into the matter, it is important to recap the public life of Femi Gbajabiamila.
Gbaja, a nickname affectionately used by his former colleagues, constituents in Surulere, Lagos, and many who know him well, did not simply become a household name in Nigeria by chance. He represented Surulere Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives for an uninterrupted 20 years, from 2003 to 2023. During that time, he set the record as the only lawmaker in Nigeria’s history to serve as Minority Whip before transitioning to Minority Leader-a role he maintained for eight consecutive years-before later becoming Majority Leader for four years.
He crowned his achievements by becoming the Speaker in the 9th Assembly, a position he held for four years. To date, he remains the only person, living or deceased, to have been elected to the Green Chamber six times from Lagos State-in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He took the oath of office in 2023 before relinquishing the position to become the Chief of Staff to the President in June 2023.
During his tenure as a lawmaker, Gbajabiamila exhibited remarkable patriotism and dedication, to the extent that his peers regarded him as a role model. For 20 years, his name was never linked to any scandal or wrongdoing in the House.
In 2011, he declined the national honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) offered by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, a decision rooted in his integrity.
In a letter dated November 1, 2011, Gbajabiamila informed Jonathan that, ‘Whilst I believe with all modesty that I have done my best as a legislator and diligently carried out my responsibilities as the leader of the opposition in the legislative arm of government, I do not believe my best for now is sufficient or enough to have earned or otherwise made me deserving of a national honour as required under the enabling law or international best practices. Perhaps God willing, I may be so deserving in the near future.’ Gbaja gave other reasons, including the fact that some individuals of questionable character formed part of the award list.
As an opposition leader, Gbaja spoke truth to power with conviction. He stood for the masses; he was a voice for the voiceless, challenging the status quo and striving to improve Nigeria through good governance.
Even after securing a seat with the majority party, he held firm to his position. As Speaker of the House, he introduced numerous reforms that transformed the legislative landscape.
It is then surprising-indeed, shocking-that a man who served his fatherland with such merit and integrity, earning the admiration of many citizens, would face what can only be described as an unrestrained campaign of calumny in both the media and court of public opinion since taking office as the CoS to the President. It really makes you wonder what’s going on beneath the surface!
From the very beginning of his tenure as CoS, his detractors launched a barrage of rumours against him. He was accused of all manner of things, including allegedly trading appointments within the government circle.
The attacks on his person became so pronounced that his principal, President Tinubu, had to publicly declare absolute confidence in him on October 30, 2023, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The President said, ‘First of all, let me reiterate to all of you the fact that a lot of stories are going around about what is happening. I’ve told everyone in this country that I can make mistakes; they’re bound to air them out and correct them. Perfection is that of God almighty. I have absolute confidence in the integrity of my Chief of Staff. All campaigns of calumny and insinuations should stop; the buck stops here. If I make mistake, I’m ready to own up to it, and we’re all joining hands to fight corruption, and we want to enforce the law along with you.’
In the wake of the President’s public declaration, the fifth columnists embarked on a sabbatical. But they soon returned, and the rumour mill became even more ferocious. The mongers went into full overdrive. All along, it seems those fanning these rumours and allegations against Gbajabiamila are within the ruling party. Apparently, they want the man out of the job. The question is: what exactly is he blocking for them?
Understandably, Gbajabiamila is the first highly politically-inclined person to hold the position of CoS to the President since our return to democratic rule in 1999. From Abdullahi Mohammed (May 29, 1999 – June 2, 2008) to Gbolade Osinowo (June 2, 2008 – September 18, 2008), then Mike Oghiadomhe (May 17, 2010 – February 10, 2014), followed by Jones Arogbofa (February 18, 2014 – May 29, 2015), Abba Kyari (August 27, 2015 – April 17, 2020), and Ibrahim Gambari (May 13, 2020 – May 29, 2023), no one held high political offices as extensively as Gbajabiamila. Perhaps the closest to him on the list is Oghiadomhe, who was deputy governor in Edo State from 1999 to 2007.
The latest scandal involving the so-called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), whose self-styled Director-General, Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, repeatedly invoked Gbajabiamila’s name-until quite recently-all for misguided reasons and in a renewed effort to blackmail the Chief of Staff, is, to put it mildly, one of the most bizarre incidents to have occurred within government circles in our recent history.
For some, the involvement of Gbaja makes it automatically true. So, they went to town with the news that Adeyemi must be right. They wouldn’t budge even after the Presidency clarified through a detailed press release containing a vivid account of how the CoS raised a red flag as far back as October 17, 2025, about the existence of the illegal organization and requested ‘the Department of Staff Security (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to probe the activities of ‘fraudsters and imposters’ forging appointment letters purportedly from his office.’
The Presidency then cautioned, ‘Politicians and members of the public who are weaponsing Adeyemi’s claim against the Chief of Staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative hook, line and sinker. They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgement, as comments made today are sub judice.’
Despite the Presidency’s admonition, the fifth columnists continued with their trade, with some calling on Gbajabiamila to resign or be sacked by the President. In all these circumstances, President Tinubu continued to place his trust in his Chief of Staff, staying true to the confidence he voiced in the man around three years ago.
On July 7, the President directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of PFIPC and all related matters and submit its report within 30 days. The investigation was to cover, among other issues, the forged appointment letters and other official government documents; the use of a false claim of presidential appointment to seek or obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation; and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents, etc.
By the close of work on Thursday, August 6,2026, the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu, SAN, submitted an interim report to the President, which made some startling discoveries, including the fact, ‘the appointment letter presented by the suspect (Adeyemi), along with other supporting documents, was completely forged and did not originate from the Presidency.’
Shockingly, the ICPC also uncovered two more fictitious agencies that Adeyemi allegedly created using forged legislative documents. The two agencies are the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency/Public-Private Partnership. Adeyemi, the ICPC Chairman added, unlawfully occupied the office of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council. He used the office to lend legitimacy to his fake agency, deceiving unsuspecting individuals.
Even before the ICPC’s interim report was made public, an ad hoc panel constituted by the House of Reps to investigate the matter following a resolution had unraveled what could best be described as monumental fraud. Though the committee’s assignment is yet to be over, among some stupefying discoveries made so far is that all the top government officials who appeared before it testified that Adeyemi’s agency is fake and that he used forged documents to beat the system.
In fact, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, openly acknowledged lapses in conducting due diligence prior to processing documents and granting a recruitment waiver for Adeyemi’s fraudulent agency. After admitting the failure, she took responsibility and committed to reviewing the civil service processes to enhance their resistance to fraud.
Arguably, the most unsettling disclosure during the Reps panel session came from Collins Oyekunle, Managing Director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, who revealed to the panel that he paid Adeyemi a staggering N400 million to secure a N2 billion contract for renovating Adeyemi’s official residence.
All things considered, based on both the findings in ICPC’s interim report submitted to the President and the disclosures before the House of Reps ad hoc panel, one fact stands out: Gbajabiamila had no involvement whatsoever in establishing Adeyemi’s fake agency or appointing the self-styled DG to that position.
Therefore, it is safe to say that Gbajabiamila’s integrity remains intact. Far from wavering, the President’s confidence in his Chief of Staff has blossomed in spite of the controversy. This is evident from the key assignments the President recently entrusted to Gbajabiamila. First, he assigned him to lead the high-level Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill. A few days ago, it was under the President’s imprimatur that Gbajabiamila met with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to negotiate a truce, leading them to suspend their planned strike. Again, the President appointed Gbajabiamila to head a Federal Government delegation to represent Nigeria at the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NIDEC) in Toronto, Canada. The delegation comprises the governors of Borno, Anambra, Kaduna, Plateau, and Zamfara, among other top government officials.