The camp of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of giving his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, a vote of confidence despite allegations linked to the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Naijaonpoint reports that Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, made the allegation, while reacting to Gbajabiamila’s appointment as Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill.
He said the appointment had confirmed his position that Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the PFIPC controversy was a smokescreen.
Tinubu had inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and named Gbajabiamila as its chairman.
The development came on the same day the President directed the ICPC to investigate the PFIPC scandal, in which Gbajabiamila’s name has been mentioned.
Reacting, Ibe said, “Tinubu, by action, appears to be urging Gbajabiamila to go and sin more.
“This confirmed that the so-called Tinubu ordered ‘fake’ PFIPC probe by the ICPC investigation is a smokescreen.”
Atiku described the appointment as troubling, saying it came at a time when the Chief of Staff had been accused by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the man at the centre of the PFIPC controversy, of collecting a bribe for the appointment.
“The President’s appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila as Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill on the same day he nudged the ICPC to probe the #GbajaGate scandal is a morally reprehensible vote of confidence in his Chief of Staff who has been accused of collecting bribe for a position by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the man at the centre of the PFIPC saga,” he said.
Ibe also criticised the fact that Gbajabiamila inaugurated the working group on behalf of the President.
“And to rub pepper into the open sore, the Chief of Staff was the one who inaugurated the Working Group on behalf of the President,” he added.
