Loading ...ABUJA, Nigeria — The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resist intense public pressure demanding the removal of his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, over unproven bribery allegations linked to a fictitious presidential agency.
The student apex body insisted that while it remains fully committed to accountability and the war against public corruption, justice must always be guided by constitutional safeguards, due process, and the rule of law rather than trial by media.
In a formal statement issued on Friday and signed by NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the association expressed deep concern over the growing clamour by certain individuals and political interest groups calling for Gbajabiamila’s immediate dismissal before official law enforcement investigations are concluded.
“We respectfully urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow a loyal and dedicated public servant to be sacrificed on the altar of unsubstantiated accusations before the truth is established,” the statement read. “Every Nigerian, regardless of public office, is entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence until proven guilty through a transparent and lawful process”.
The controversy stems from explosive claims made by one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who asserted his position as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). Adeyemi recently accused Gbajabiamila of demanding a 48 percent cut of a multi-billion naira take-off grant and receiving a N400 million bribe by proxy to facilitate the setup of the agency.
However, the Presidency has forcefully disowned both Adeyemi and the PFIPC, declaring that no such establishment exists under the Tinubu administration. Presidential aides have labeled the purported council a fraudulent enterprise, revealing that security agencies including the DSS, EFCC, and the Police have already launched multi-agency probes to hunt down internal collaborators who allegedly helped forge presidential appointment letters and bypass banking protocols.
NANS, in its defense of the Chief of Staff, highlighted Gbajabiamila’s extensive record in public service, noting his critical role as the former Speaker of the House of Representatives in resolving the prolonged 2022 university lecturers’ strike. The student body argued that his contributions to democratic governance should not be dismantled by a script flipped by an alleged con artist attempting to muddy the waters of a criminal probe.
“If these calls are not politically motivated or driven by vested interests, then those making them should equally respect the constitutional principle of a fair hearing,” NANS stated, adding that criminal charges have already been initiated against the principal accuser.
The student body concluded by calling on Nigerians to exercise restraint, filter out politically engineered distractions, and allow the relevant security agencies to bring clarity to the multi-billion naira fake agency saga.
