Loading ...If Dr. Betta Edu could be summarily sacked as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation over the ₦585 million scandal;
If Halima Shehu, the former National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), could be suspended and swiftly arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the unauthorized movement of ₦44 billion from government accounts;
If Prof. Tahir Mamman could be dropped from the Ministry of Education due to administrative shortcomings and a failure to meet the administration’s specific key performance metrics;
And if Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye could be shown the way out of the Ministry of Women Affairs over repeated public controversies and general performance issues—
Then a fundamental question must be put before the Commander-in-Chief: Why should President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spare his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who has brought continuous controversy and scandal to the doorstep of his administration?
A Dangerous Double Standard
Should there be one standard for some public officials and an entirely different cushion for others? If raw allegations, administrative failures, and public controversies were enough to swiftly remove ministers and top government functionaries in the recent past, why should this current high-stakes case be treated with kid gloves?
Accountability should never be selective. It is time for President Tinubu to deploy the exact same cane he has consistently used on others against this particular office. When the seat of power begins to pick and choose who faces the music, the entire anti-corruption posture of the state crumbles into mere political theater.
The Path to Public Trust
The allegations flying out of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) saga are far too damaging to be swept under an executive rug. For the sake of institutional integrity, Femi Gbajabiamila needs to step down immediately. Stepping aside is not an admission of guilt; it is the standard democratic practice that allows for a full, transparent, and completely unhindered investigation into the matter.
That remains the only viable path to clear the air, restore institutional credibility, and reassure everyday Nigerians that in this republic, absolutely no one stands above scrutiny.
