Segun James
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has tackled his critics, clarifying that he never betrayed the President’s confidence in him and could not have been involved in the allegations levelled against him.
Gbajabiamila spoke yesterday at the 2026 Gbajabiamila Mega Empowerment Programme held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, where he also addressed the controversy and accusations that had trailed him in recent months.
The accusations stemmed from a probe into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), where he was accused of involvement in the activities of the fictitious organisation.
However, probes into the fake agency, including one conducted by the House of Representatives, cleared the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The Chief of Staff said investigations into the allegations were now in the public domain, stressing that due process prevailed despite pressure from some quarters to condemn him before the investigations were concluded.
He said, “The past few months have tested me in ways I never expected. Stories were written; strange accusations were made; lies were told, and my integrity was questioned. Three years ago, the people of Surulere, the people of Lagos State, and those who love me in Nigeria, stood by me in their prayers and spoke up for me when it mattered.
“I will never forget that. I thank you all. The investigative reports are in the public domain.
“Many people wanted me to rush to judgement and give a verdict before the investigation. They refused and insisted on due process. Let me also say, Mr. President knows his Chief of Staff very well. Having worked closely with me for many years, he was therefore supremely confident that I was not in any way involved in those nefarious things,” Gbajabiamila explained.
Gbajabiamila said he remained committed to his responsibilities in the Presidency despite what he described as attacks against him.
He added: “Let me speak plainly and directly to all those behind the attacks. No amount of money, no amount of blackmail or lies, whether sponsored from within or outside, will detract me from my work and the work Mr. President has given me to do.
“And to anyone using my name to defame people or misrepresent me, know that the law will always catch up with you.”
Speaking on his relationship with Tinubu, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives said his loyalty to the President had remained unchanged.
“In politics, loyalty is the currency we spend the most. I have been with Mr. President for many years…I did not question his leadership and never betrayed his trust in me. I stayed loyal then and I remain loyal now. My commitment to his Renewed Hope agenda is unshaken,” he said.
The Chief of Staff said the empowerment was targeted at about 5,000 beneficiaries from communities in Surulere.
He said the programme included cash support, vehicles, electric tricycles, buses, security patrol vehicles and an ambulance.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Governor of the state and APC governorship candidate for the 2027 elections, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, commended Gbajabiamila for his consistency in identifying with his people.
Hamzat also used the occasion to canvass support for the re-election of the President, saying other candidates, whom he described as politically unstable, cannot match the capacity and strength of President Tinubu.
He said any candidate who cannot manage a political party cannot manage a complex nation like Nigeria, describing Tinubu as the ‘last man standing’ who has remained in a party and built it from scratch into the largest political party in Africa.