There are signs suggesting that the tenure of Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, may be coming to an end due to allegations that he has been selling government appointments to the highest bidders.
Reports from DAILY POST indicate that there is a growing outcry among Tinubu’s loyal supporters who are determined to ensure that Gbajabiamila is removed from the Presidential Villa.
Last week, the President appointed 10 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, it has been gathered that since Tinubu took office, most of the names approved by the President for appointments have allegedly been substituted by the Chief of Staff.
One instance cited was the replacement of the name of the Ekiti REC with the name of a former commissioner who served under the previous Governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi.
According to a source, “The REC from Ekiti that he (Gbajabiamila) appointed was Fayemi’s former commissioner, not the person Asiwaju (Tinubu) had approved. The person Asiwaju approved was Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the former Legal Adviser of INEC. When the announcement was made, two members of the President’s cabinet met with him to complain that the person they had nominated had been changed. The President was upset, saying he had checked the name of the woman before he signed the list. He summoned his Chief of Staff but found his explanations lacking. The President gave him a stern warning and directed that the woman’s name must be on the list.”
The source added that there is a plan to remove Gbajabiamila from the Villa, potentially by appointing him to an ambassadorial position, and the President’s Private Principal Secretary, Akeem Okunola, has started taking over some of his responsibilities. The President is also assembling a team to assist the Chief of Staff.
Moreover, there have been concerns about the National Social Investments Programme (NSIP), where the appointed personnel did not align with Tinubu’s recommendations. Asiwaju had recommended Halima Sheu for the position, but she was dismissed by the former Minister of Finance, Sadiya Farouq, for her support of Tinubu’s campaign. Asiwaju had pledged to reinstate her to the same or a higher position.