Summary:

  • The NDC has demanded the immediate sack of Femi Gbajabiamila over an alleged N27.4bn corruption scandal.

  • The scandal involves a fake government agency that received budgetary allocations and opened CBN accounts despite being non-existent.

  • Gbajabiamila is accused of demanding a 48% kickback and collecting N400m through proxies to facilitate the agency head’s appointment.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has called for the immediate removal of Femi Gbajabiamila. He is the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The demand was contained in a press statement issued on Thursday. It was signed by the party’s leadership.

The NDC said the call follows damning allegations of corruption. These allegations involve Mr Gbajabiamila and one Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi. Mr Adeyemi claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The NDC described the agency as non-existent. It alleged that the agency was used to siphon public funds. It claimed this happened with the active collusion of the Chief of Staff.

“This scandal raises fundamental questions about the level of transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the Tinubu administration,” the statement read.

The Allegations

According to the NDC, the PFIPC received budgetary allocations in the 2026 budget. It also successfully opened multiple bank accounts. These included a Domiciliary Account, a Pound Sterling Account, and a Treasury Single Account. All were domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The party described this as baffling. It noted that the Presidency had publicly disclaimed the existence of any such agency.

The NDC said it was deeply troubling that an agency the Presidency claims does not exist could open such accounts. It said stringent documentation is required to open a domiciliary account.

“How then was a fictitious agency able to open such accounts without the necessary documentation? Did the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation knowingly process forged documents? The Presidency owes Nigerians an urgent clarification on this matter,” the statement read.

314 Staff Positions

The NDC also raised concerns about another claim. It said the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation allegedly approved 314 staff positions for the agency.

The party questioned how such a significant administrative action could occur without the knowledge of the Presidency. It also wondered how it escaped the attention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“Is the Tinubu administration so clueless and incompetent that major decisions bypass its principal officers?” the party asked.

The Bribery Allegations

The NDC said the most grievous allegation involved money. It said the Chief of Staff allegedly demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant. The amount was put at N27,395,510,136.

Prince Adeyemi reportedly rejected the request. This, the party said, resulted in the public spat between both men.

The NDC further stated that Mr Adeyemi admitted to fraudulently securing his appointment through the Chief of Staff. The sum involved was N600 million.

Of this amount, N400 million was allegedly paid through proxies to the Chief of Staff. A balance of N200 million remains outstanding. The party claimed this default triggered the current denial of the agency’s existence by presidential aides.

Institutionalised Corruption

The NDC did not hold back in its assessment. It said the allegations point to a disturbing pattern.

“These are not mere allegations; they point to a disturbing pattern of institutionalised corruption, including the alleged sale of appointments to the highest bidders, a notorious trademark of the Tinubu administration,” the statement read.

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The party concluded with a strong statement. “The NDC believes this scandal further confirms that the current administration has entrenched and legitimised corruption as a way of governance in Nigeria.”

 

What the NDC Wants

The party demanded the immediate sack of Mr Gbajabiamila. It also called for a full-scale investigation into the allegations.

The NDC urged President Tinubu to act swiftly. It said anything less would confirm the administration’s tolerance for corruption.

 

Neither the Presidency nor Mr Gbajabiamila has responded to the NDC’s demands as at the time of filing this report.