Femi Gbajabiamila

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to allow what he described as an “unfettered” investigation into corruption allegations against the presidential aide.

In a statement released on Tuesday through his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said the allegations against Gbajabiamila should not be ignored, adding that “silence and indifference” would not erase the “unfolding” claims.

The former vice-president said the situation should be handled in the same manner as the case of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, who was suspended by former President Muhammadu Buhari while investigations were ongoing.

Atiku said he was disturbed by allegations that Gbajabiamila “illegally corner[ed] tens of billions of naira in oil and gas royalties from petroleum regulatory commission, citing a fake law for presidential approval.”

He also accused the Tinubu administration of applying different standards in its anti-corruption campaign.

“Tinubu’s administration can’t pretend to be prosecuting opposition figures for corruption, while corruption is growing like weed under its own nose,” Atiku said.

“You can’t preach the rule of law when your own officials are awarded with the trophy of untouchability.

“Gbajabiamila must be held accountable like every other public official and independently investigated to give him full opportunity to defend himself against the brazen act of corruption as detailed in the Gazette report.

“Former President Buhari suspended his SGF Babachir Lawal from office in order to allow for unfettered investigation against him and Gbajabiamila shouldn’t be treated differently.”

Gbajabiamila has recently faced allegations from Adeniyi Adeyemi, Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), who accused him of collecting a N400 million bribe in exchange for an appointment letter.

The PFIPC has also attracted scrutiny after operating like a government agency despite the absence of any legal framework or presidential approval establishing it. The body reportedly received funding in the 2026 budget, occupied office space at the Federal Secretariat, and recruited staff.

Babachir Lawal was suspended in April 2017 over allegations of breaches of due process and violations of the law in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE). Buhari later removed him from office after the investigation, and Boss Mustapha was appointed as his replacement.

Lawal and Atiku also disagreed publicly in June after the former SGF resigned from the ADC. Lawal alleged that the party’s primary election was manipulated in favour of Atiku and his allies.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Presidency has defended the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, against allegations of bribery levelled against him by Adeniyi Adeyemi, whom it described as the convener of a non-existent government agency.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, alleged that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.

Onanuga said Adeyemi presented himself as the director-general of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. He added that the agency had no legal backing and was not recognised by the federal government.

The presidential aide said the matter came to the attention of security agencies after complaints emerged in 2025 that the group was operating alongside the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission.

According to him, Gbajabiamila petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 over the activities of the group.

“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office,” the petition reads.

Onanuga stated that the Chief of Staff could not have appointed Adeyemi into office because the agency in question did not exist. He also explained that appointments into federal government offices are handled through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and not through the office of the Chief of Staff.

He further disclosed that police operatives arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025. Security operatives reportedly recovered forged documents from his office and residence during the investigation.

The Presidency alleged that investigators discovered that Adeyemi forged documents to present himself as a government official. It also accused him of attempting to obtain a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure United States visas for himself and members of the council he allegedly created.

Onanuga also claimed that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine accounts allegedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies.

He alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria after misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. However, he added that investigators did not find evidence showing that public funds were paid into the account.

The presidential spokesman said the police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other persons before a Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.

He said the matter is expected to come up in court on July 27.

Onanuga also said Adeyemi’s recent claim that Gbajabiamila appointed him contradicted the statement he earlier made to investigators during interrogation.

“Politicians and members of the public who are weaponising Adeyemi’s claim against the Chief of Staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative hook, line and sinker,” he said.

“They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgement, as comments made today are subjudice.”

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Federal Government will meet with the leadership of the organised labour movement today, as yesterday’s meeting to prevent the planned nationwide strike did not yield any fruitful results. 

It was gathered that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) rejected the federal government’s offers. 

They said they had also rejected the N25,000 provisional wage award for low-grade workers to cushion the effect of the removal of the petrol subsidy. 

Recall that President Tinubu, in his nationwide broadcast on the occasion of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary, said the provisional wage was a result of talks with labour and other stakeholders in the country. 

He stated, “Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. ‘

’For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand naira per month. 

“Commencing this month, the social safety net is being extended through the expansion of cash transfer programmes to an additional 15 million vulnerable households,” he added. 

However, labour insisted that the provisional wage increase should be for all workers, pending the enactment of a new Minimum Wage Act next year, and must not be limited to only six months. 

The labour leaders equally insisted that the conditional cash transfer for the poorest and most vulnerable people should be increased to N25,000 for 15 million vulnerable Nigerians, against the N5,000 the previous administration was paying. 

After many hours of horse-trading, the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who is leading the government’s delegation, broke the meeting for the government team to consult with the President on the new demands. 

Other issues raised by the NLC and TUC leaders included tax rebates for low-income earners, the removal of value-added tax (VAT) on diesel for the next six months, and the provision of compressed natural gas (CNG) and buses within the next two months.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Federal Government and the leadership of the Organised Labour are currently holding a crucial meeting behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. 

The meeting could be seen as a last-minute effort by the federal government to prevent the planned nationwide strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, slated for Tuesday. 

It was gathered that the labour delegation led by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, arrived at the Conference Hall of the Permanent Secretary, State House, at 3:15 p.m. 

Among the labour delegation are the Secretary of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Nuhu Toro, and his counterpart from the NLC, Emma Ugbaja. 

The government team, on the other hand, is led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. 

Other members of the government team include the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan; the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong; the Minister of State, Nkeiruka Onyejecha; the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Beta Edu. 

Also present are some directors from the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 

The Daily Reality will report the result of the emergency meeting to the public.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

In a recent development, President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has forwarded a second list of 19 ministerial nominees to the Nigerian Senate for confirmation. 

The list, presented by Femi Gbajamiabila, Chief of Staff and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, includes notable candidates such as Adegboyega Oyetola, Bosun Tijani, Bello Mattawale, and Dr. Isiak Salako. 

The chamber’s protocols were momentarily put on hold at 3:15 p.m. to accommodate the Chief of Staff’s entrance into the revered Red Chamber. 

Among the other nominees are Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, Dr. Mariam Shetti, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, and Uba Maigari Ahmadu. 

This comes after the Senate’s reception of the first list earlier this week, which included prominent figures like former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufai, former Rivers Governor, Nyeson Wike, and health specialist Prof. Ali Pate, among others.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

President Tinubu has submitted a list of 28 individuals to the Senate for screening and confirmation as ministerial nominees. These are:

ABUBAKAR MOMOH

YUSUF MAITAMA

Umar Dangiwa

Hannatu MUSAWA

UCHE NNAJI

BETA EDU

DORIS ANIETE UZOAKA

DAVID UMAHI

EZENWO WIKE

MOHAMMED BADARU ABUBAKAR

NASIL EL RUFAI

EKPERIKPE EKPO

NKIRU ONYEJEOCHA

OLUBUNMI TUNJI OJO

STELLA OKOTETE UJU

KENNEDY OHANEYE

BELLO MOHAMMED GORONYO

DELE ALAKE

LATEEF FAGBEMI

MOHAMMED IDRIS

OLAWALE EDUN

WAHEED ADEBAYO ADELABU

IMAAN SULEIMAN IBRAHIM

PROF ALI PATE

JOSEPH OTSEN

SEN. ABUBAKAR KYARI

SEN JOHN ENO

SEN SANI ABUBAKAR

The list was submitted Thursday afternoon by Femi GBajabiamila, the Chief of Staff, to President Bola Tinubu.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, praised the Supreme Court’s ruling invalidating the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) currency policy’s deadline and extending it until December 31, 2023.

This was revealed in a statement released on Friday in Abuja by Mr Lanre Lasisi, Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media and Publicity.

According to Gbajabiamila, this had been the stand of the House of Representatives.

According to the speaker, the design and implementation of the currency exchange policy had been terminally defective and at odds with the goals of law and public policy, despite the scheme’s admirable aims.

He said that the House has been criticising the policy implementation because it violated the statute creating the CBN and that the Supreme Court’s ruling supported the House’s position.

“The decision of the Supreme Court suspending the currency swap policy introduced by CBN and extending the implementation deadline to December 31 validates the position of the House in its entirety,” he said.

The Speaker explained that the implementation of the policy is remarkably haphazard, adding that it falls way short of international standards.

By Samson Kefas Galadima 

Everyone can claim to be a leader, but not everyone is an effective leader. Therefore, it is time to separate the wheat from the chaff. 

People who know me very well can attest that I rarely write for politicians or people who hold public office. This is because of the preconceived notions I have about Nigerian politicians. Before now, I believed Nigerian politicians were corrupt people who share the national cake at the centre and corner while they desert their constituents. My perception has been that way right from my childhood. The reason for that cannot be far-fetched from what I see every dawn of a new day where politicians make empty promises and never keep them. Instead, they fly to Dubai or the UK for recess while the people they govern face social unrest, poverty, and even religious divisions when the nation is facing problems of national concern.

However, in the last five weeks, my generalization about some of the Nigerian politicians began to take a radical paradigm shift when I got selected to participate in the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI), the brainchild of the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. The Legislative Mentorship initiative is a special program that seeks to identify, train, and equip a younger generation of ethical public sector leaders. In addition, the program seeks to deliberately, intentionally, and consistently groom the successor generation of public sector leaders, especially legislators, to possess and demonstrate deep values of character, competence, and capacity, which would later or sooner improve governance efficiency in our country.

During the last five weeks, other 73 fellows from across the 36 States of the federation and the FCT and I had engaging moments with Mr Speaker during what we tagged as “The Mentor-Exchange (MentX)”, where the Speaker shared with us his 20 years of wealth of experience working as a Legislator, the story of his humble beginning, the challenges and how he was elected as the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was indeed such a revealing and inspiring moment.

In addition to the awe-inspiring delivery of his speech which was graced with ease, his humility captured my heart, leaving me begging for more of his presence. When asked about effective leadership, he said, “Leadership is about sacrifice and sometimes the kind of sacrifice you would not imagine that you would want to make; it is the kind of sacrifice that hits you to the marrow.’’ Sometimes you would have to bury your interest to consider others, but above all, national interest should be what drives you at the end of the day, he added.

When speaking of humility, Rt. Hon. Femi said, “Being the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, I don’t see the 359 Honourable Members as subordinates. Instead, I see them as colleagues and myself as the first among equals. 

Gbajabiamila is a visionary leader who sees beyond his nose. I can attest to this through the aides he is working with and the investments he is making in the lives of young people in his constituency. This is also true for Nigeria, by extension. For instance, the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI), which he founded and I am proud and privileged to be part of the inaugural cohort, is doing a fantastic job of sharpening the minds and visions of young people. He believes nation-building is a joint task that cannot be completed without the youth, and so is the task of building tomorrow’s leaders. No wonder the LMI’s motto is ‘…building the next generation of Nigeria’s public sector leaders.’ 

Another quality I admire in Gbajabiamila’s life is his vulnerability as a leader. For instance, recall sometime in July this year, the Speaker on his verified Twitter page posted pictures of himself in a classroom at Harvard School of Government in the US at a time public universities in Nigeria had been shut down for about six months at that time, Mr Speaker after widespread backlash on social media apologized to Nigerians for the insensitive post.

In his words, he wrote, “Yesterday, I posted a picture of myself at the @Harvard@Kennedy_School undergoing a course. That post was not sensitive to the present feelings of fellow citizens, especially parents and students who are presently bearing the brunt of the ongoing closure of public universities owing to the unresolved issues between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government of Nigeria. I apologize for the post at this time, and I hope you will understand that it was not my intention to cause disaffection.’’ Mr Speaker’s ability to accept that he was wrong when being criticized made him an exceptional leader. Unfortunately, this quality is lacking in many of Nigeria’s politicians and public servants. A significant number of them see vulnerability as a sign of weakness and not strength. 

With the contributions of Mr Speaker and other well-meaning Nigerians, a new Nigeria is possible. As I draw closer to a conclusion, I want to thank you, Mr Speaker, for never saying no to your responsibilities. In this way, Mr Speaker, you have won over another ardent supporter of accountability who will appreciate you where you deserve to be appreciated. I will provide constructive criticism and positive feedback where necessary as I share your core values of accountability, inclusivity, and effective governance. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for being an exemplary leader that makes a difference.

Samson Kefas Galadima is a writer from Gombe State and a Fellow of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI). He can be reached at kefsammy@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The House of Representatives have scheduled a meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff of Universities, ASUU, in a bid to resolve the lingering impasse between the union and the government.

The Clerk of the Green Chamber, Yahaya Danzaria made the revelation in a statement he made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja .

According to Danzaria, the meeting will take place at the Representative Wing of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

“The House of Representatives is deeply concerned about the renewed strike which seems to have defied all efforts made to find a solution or reach an agreement between the Federal Government and the striking University lecturers.

The House is more worried about the negative consequences of the strike on the future and quality of education of our teeming youths who have been kept at home for the past six months despite the intervention of the House and several well-meaning Nigerians overtime to see that the matter was resolved.” Part of the statement reads

ASUU embarked on strike on February 14, consequent of which most Nigerians public universities have been shutdown.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has returned to the classroom.

In photos posted on Gbajabiamila’s Facebook page on Tuesday, July 26, he was seen in a classroom alongside other students at the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States of America. 

However, the House of Representatives Speaker’s post did not go well with many Nigerians. Many opined that the Speaker should not be schooling abroad while Nigeria’s public universities are on strike. 

“ASUU is on strike, and you’re there posting pictures of being in class. Shame on you,” Ibrahim Abubakar Musa commented.

“Aren’t you aware that university students back in your country are still at home? I don’t wish you luck.” Hassan Muhammad Yahaya, another Facebook user, commented. 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, embarked on strike on February 14. This has crippled academic activities across Nigeria’s public universities.