The Chief of Staff to Nigeria’s president, Femi Gbajabiamila, has asserted that no amount of propaganda will deter President Bola Tinubu and his team from pursuing the “renewed hope agenda.”
Gbajabiamila made this statement on Sunday in response to reports suggesting that President Tinubu’s loyalists are seeking his removal over alleged sale of appointments.
There has been a growing outcry among Tinubu’s supporters who are determined to ensure Gbajabiamila is removed from the Presidential Villa. Reports indicate that since Tinubu took office, the Chief of Staff allegedly replaced most names approved by the President for appointments.
One such case cited was the replacement of the name of the Ekiti Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) with the name of a former commissioner under the immediate past Governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi.
The source says: “The REC from Ekiti that he (Gbajabiamila) put there, the man was Fayemi’s former commissioner, that was not the person Asiwaju signed off on. The person Asiwaju signed off on was one Toyin (Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola), the former Legal Adviser of INEC.
“But when the announcement was made, two members of the President’s cabinet met with him to complain that the person they nominated had been changed with another person. The President was infuriated, he said he checked the name of the woman before he signed the list.
“He summoned his CoS, but when he arrived, he was stuttering. The President asked him to bring the list he signed.
“The President said so, what he has been hearing is true that whenever he signs something, it will be changed. The President gave three instances that he signed for something and was changed. He felt bad and gave him the last warning. He directed that the woman’s name must be in the list.”
Speaking on Sunday, Gbajabiamila refrained from addressing the report regarding his alleged abuse of office. However, he acknowledged that President Tinubu and his team would not entertain unfounded accusations. Gbajabiamila emphasized that the recent Supreme Court verdict on Thursday provided a solid foundation for Tinubu’s agenda, and no disruptions would be tolerated.
“Last Thursday, the SC gave the renewed hope agenda a stable platform to deliver good governance to Nigerians. Our agenda is not driven by pecuniary politics, and no amount of propaganda can derail our focus. We have a critical assignment to deliver and our objectives will not be interrupted by baseless accusations from unverifiable quarters. Nigerians can rest assured that the President and his strong team will deliver without distractions,” Gbajabiamila stated in a short statement he released on Sunday.