Some said the President should have sacked Gbaja all this while, because it’s been one allegation or the other since the beginning of this government. I responded that the President is not a fool. He has security intelligence many of you don’t have. He knows that those allegations are lies. The President knows those public institutions that dropped the ball as we can all see approvals of Office of Accountant General, Office of Head of Service, Office of SGF, Budget Office etc.
The President also knows that politicians who need an appointment and don’t get it, and who want to attack him, find it easy to attack his Chief of Staff instead. So the President is not a social media President like Peter Obi.
Even people who desperately want to see the President for transactions and are denied audience will put the blame on his Chief of Staff. The President knows more than you think!
In any system, the Chief of Staff is a fall guy. In fact, anyone who can’t take bullets is not fit to be a Chief of Staff. Rahm Emanuel took the same bullets for President Obama.
As a gatekeeper, a Chief of Staff will always be subject to sponsored media trials. Those who can’t have their way around the President’s table will definitely fight back.
Across his career, Femi Gbajabiamila has cultivated a reputation as a disciplined, principle-driven public servant. Drawing on the 2011 letter to President Jonathan, written when he was Opposition Leader in the House of Representatives, he demonstrated rare integrity by politely declining the prestigious OFR national honour under President Jonathan, because he believed the honours system had been abused and was actively working to reform it, insisting it would be hypocritical to accept an award from a flawed process.
He argued that national honours must follow clear criteria, be reserved only for the truly deserving, and withstand public scrutiny, even stating that his own record did not yet justify such recognition under existing laws and international best practices.
In recent commentary around the PFIPC Adeyemi Mathew scandal, civic groups and commentators have leaned on this long-standing record to describe Gbaja as a man of integrity and discipline, noting his reformist posture, emphasis on rule-based governance, and willingness to invite investigation through his October 2025 whistleblower letter to the Police and DSS, rather than evade scrutiny.
Some collaborators of Adeyemi Mathew expected Gbaja to shut up, probably not blow the whistle, and not issue the disclaimer of June 16, 2026 against their cartel.
*SOME SAID BY NOW THAT PRESIDENT TINUBU SHOULD HAVE SET UP A SPECIAL PANEL AND ASKED GBAJA TO STEP ASIDE. ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT AND THE MATTER IS ALREADY BEFORE THE LAW COURT, WITH THE NEXT ADJOURNED DATE — JULY 14, 2026.*
THE PANEL IN THIS CASE IS THE COURT, NOT THE MEDIA COURT.
GBAJA ALSO WANTS THE MYSTERY OF THE PFIPC CARTEL UNVEILED.
Dr Murtala idris
National Secretary, Project One Nigeria
