- Safiu Kehinde
The 2027 African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the fresh appointment of his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, as the chairman of the Presidential Working Group on National Policing Bill.
NPO Reported that Gbajabiamila was yesterday announced as the chairman of the committee established to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
His appointment at the committee’s inauguration ceremony, where he represented President Bola Tinubu, is coming amid the fake agency and corruption scandal involving the COS and the self-styled Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
It also came few hours after Tinubu ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to commence probe on the scandal.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Paul Ibe, Atiku described Gbajabiamila’s appointment as a confirmation that the president’s order of probe on his scandal was nothing short of a smokescreen.
The former Vice President further described the COS’ appointment as the committee chairman as a morally reprehensible vote of confidence by Tinubu.
“This is the confirmation that the so-called Tinubu ordered “fake” Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) probe by the ICPC investigation is a smokescreen.
“The President’s appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila as Chairman of Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill on the same day he nudged the ICPC to probe the #GbajaGate scandal is a morally reprehensible vote of confidence in his Chief of Staff who has been accused of collecting bribe for position by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the man at the centre of the PFIPC saga.” He said.
Atiku also frowned at the Gbajabiamila’s inauguration of the committee on behalf of Tinubu, describing it as the president’s way of overlooking the allegation against the former House of Representatives Speaker.
“And to rub pepper into the open sore, the Chief of Staff was the one who inaugurated the Working Group on behalf of the President. Tinubu, by this telling action, appears to be urging Gbajabiamila to go and sin more.” He added.