ADC Group Demands Gbajabiamila’s Exit, Rejects Presidency’s Defence

A support group of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Grassroots Mobilization Network (GMN), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to resign immediately and submit to a proper investigation over corruption allegations surrounding the Presidency.

The group also rejected the defence contained in a statement issued by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, describing it as a collection of outright falsehoods.
GMN further argued that the controversy should strengthen Nigerians’ resolve to reject President Tinubu in the presidential election scheduled for next year.
In a statement issued in Abuja at the weekend by its Deputy Secretary, Abubakar Sadiq Lwafu, the group said, “Gbajabiamila has to resign, or the President should direct him to step aside to allow a full and independent investigation into allegations of corruption and the activities of a purported fake agency, while also protecting the integrity of the Presidential Villa from further embarrassment.
“The honourable thing for Femi Gbajabiamila to do is resign. Nigeria is not yet a banana republic. Too many scandals have trailed this administration, and this one must not be swept under the carpet.”
Lwafu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed Nigerians and should stop taking the people for granted.
He also alleged that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi was being used as a scapegoat, maintaining that documents and videos circulating in the public domain suggest he was duly appointed and carried out official government duties.
According to him, Adeyemi was allocated an office in the Federal Secretariat, complete with staff whose salaries were paid from government funds, including allocations linked to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Lwafu insisted that without an independent investigative panel made up of credible Nigerians with unquestionable integrity, the Presidency’s denial would not be accepted. He also urged Nigerians to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 and support the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He was reacting to a statement issued on Friday by Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.
In the statement, Onanuga dismissed reports identifying Adeniyi Adeyemi as Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, describing them as false.
However, Lwafu questioned how Adeyemi allegedly obtained an appointment letter, gazette notice and budgetary allocation if, as claimed, the position was fake.
“The denial by the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, that Director-General Adeniyi Adeyemi is fake is unacceptable,” Lwafu said. “Nigerians deserve the truth and nothing but the truth.”
GMN said it would petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) this week to verify the existence of the agency in question and determine the legal status of the two councils.
The group also requested the publication of the councils’ legal instruments, the Director-General’s appointment letter, gazette and budgetary records.