ABUJA, Nigeria — Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar, demanded on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other officials prior to an anti-corruption probe.
Golden Info reports that Paul Ibe stated it was “flagrantly wrong” for the president to mandate the inquiry “without asking the key suspects, including his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to go on suspension pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
In a public statement, Paul Ibe said, “Not suspending all those involved in the #GbajaGate scandal is akin to them being a judge in their own case. Their continued stay in office while the investigation is going on, gives them the opportunity to interfere with the investigation process.”
Bola Tinubu previously gave the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission a 30-day deadline to investigate the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an entity the Nigerian Presidency states has no legal basis or presidential approval.
The investigation follows claims by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who identifies as the council’s Director-General. He stated he paid N600 million ($436,800) to secure his position, including N400 million ($291,200) via proxies, and accused Femi Gbajabiamila of requesting 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant.
Despite the Nigerian Presidency denying the council’s existence, questions remain regarding how the body allegedly secured a N1.3 billion ($946,400) allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act and opened operational accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress and Nigeria’s former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, have also requested Femi Gbajabiamila’s suspension pending the investigation.