There is currently a circulating claim that Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian president, has dismissed Femi Gbajabiamila, his chief of staff. The report, labelled as a developing story and posted on February 6, 2024, suggests that the official announcement of Gbajabiamila’s removal will be made public. This information was reposted by the “phoenix app” and widely shared across WhatsApp platforms.
Controversy has surrounded some members of Tinubu’s cabinet, and it appears that Gbajabiamila is not exempt from this scrutiny. Gbajabiamila assumed the role of chief of staff to the president in June 2023, a position that required him to relinquish his former role as the speaker of the House of Representatives.
In October 2023, the Daily Post reported that some of Tinubu’s loyalists were advocating for Gbajabiamila’s dismissal, alleging that he engaged in trading appointments “with the highest bidder.”
In response to the allegations, BusinessDay reported that the president expressed his “absolute confidence” in his chief of staff.
However, in January 2024, unverifiable sources, primarily on social media, claimed that the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, intended to implicate Gbajabiamila in the corruption deal for which she was suspended.
In February 2024, Gbajabiamila took action by writing a petition to the Department of State Services (DSS), urging an investigation into the false accusations and what he deemed a “sustained campaign of calumny.” He asserted that this campaign has been targeting him for more than six months since his appointment as chief of staff.
Verification:
In scrutinising the claim, the CDD War Room conducted a thorough examination of the news source and discovered that the information was initially posted on the website “abujareporters.com.” However, we found that the story had been subsequently deleted, adding a layer of ambiguity to the authenticity of the reported dismissal.
Furthermore, the CDD War Room engaged with the state house correspondent.
The correspondent, upon inquiry, conveyed a lack of awareness regarding such news.
The CDD War Room was able to confirm that, as of yesterday evening, Femi Gbajabiamila was actively participating in a closed-door meeting in his capacity as the chief of staff.
This tangible evidence contradicts the claim of his dismissal and suggests that he was still functioning in his official role at the time.
Verdict: FALSE
After detailed checks, CDD War Room can confirm that there is no credible report to substantiate the claim of the sack of the Chief of Staff. As at the time of this report, Femi Gbajabiamila remains the chief of staff to the president.
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