By Precious Mark
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an independent probe of President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over an alleged N54 billion oil and gas royalty diversion.
Atiku’s comments follows a investigative report accusing Gbajabiamila of using a fake law to secure presidential approval to illegally divert tens of billions of naira in royalties from the petroleum regulatory commission.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Atiku Media Office, the former Vice President accused President Bola Tinubu of using anti-corruption agencies as political tools to persecute opposition figures while shielding top officials within his own cabinet.
“This issue goes beyond partisan politics, it’s about the impunity of corruption that undermines the welfare and future of ordinary Nigerians.”
“This level of corruption is unprecedented, and the government cannot pretend to be prosecuting opposition figures for corruption while corruption is growing like weed under its own nose,” Atiku said.
The ADC candidate demanded that Gbajabiamila be immediately suspended and independently investigated to clear his name, drawing a direct parallel to how former President Muhammadu Buhari suspended his Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, during a similar contract scandal.
“You cannot preach the rule of law when your own officials are awarded the trophy of untouchability,” Atiku warned, pointing out that Gbajabiamila is already carrying a heavy baggage of unresolved controversies, including allegations of bribe-for-appointments racketeering and the illegal cornering of N54 billion in state oil revenues.
Atiku concluded that the Tinubu administration’s casual attitude toward these recurring scandals shows that its anti-graft war is merely a theatrical display designed to deceive the public while ordinary Nigerians bear the brunt of a failing economy.