By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Democratic Initiative Network (DIN) has criticised recent calls for the removal of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, describing the campaign against him as politically motivated and based on misinformation.
Addressing journalists at a press conference on Friday, the group’s Director of Communications, Dr. Edwin Osuagwu, accused critics, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, of attempting to link the presidential aide to issues in which he had no involvement.
“The Democratic Initiative Network has observed with deep concern the sustained campaign of calumny and misinformation targeted at the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and we strongly condemn these unwarranted attacks,” Osuagwu said
Osuagwu said Atiku’s recent call for Gbajabiamila’s removal failed to take into account that the matter being referenced had already been under investigation and was before the courts since last year.
According to him, the Chief of Staff had no role in the deregistration of any political party, urging the former vice president to channel any grievances through the appropriate legal and institutional processes.
“Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila had no role whatsoever in the deregistration of any political party.”
“We respectfully urge Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to direct his grievances to the appropriate institutions and pursue any legal remedies available to him, rather than dragging the Chief of Staff into matters in which he played no part,” he stressed.
The group further alleged that Atiku’s remarks may have been influenced by recent court proceedings involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that attempts to associate Gbajabiamila with the issue were unfair and without basis.
DIN also claimed that some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had sought to hold the Chief of Staff responsible for their political setbacks following the party’s internal elections. It argued that Gbajabiamila’s role during the APC National Assembly leadership contests was supervisory and ceremonial, while decisions on candidates were made by the party’s leadership.
Osuagwu further maintained that the Office of the Chief of Staff was not implicated in the allegations circulating in the public space, stressing that the office was, instead, responsible for referring the matter to the appropriate security agencies for investigation.
“The Office of the Chief of Staff was not the source of the alleged wrongdoing but was, in fact, the office that formally referred the matter to the appropriate security agencies for investigation,” the institute further said.
Calling for restraint, the group urged politicians and members of the public to allow security agencies and the courts to conclude ongoing investigations rather than fuel public discourse with what it described as politically motivated narratives.
“Nigeria’s democracy must be guided by facts, due process and the rule of law not by rumours, forged documents or politically motivated narratives,” it added.
The organisation also praised Gbajabiamila’s record in public service, describing his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives as one of the most impactful in Nigeria’s democratic history. It said he had empowered thousands of Nigerians through leadership development and public service initiatives.
Reaffirming its support for the Chief of Staff, DIN vowed to resist what it described as attempts to damage his reputation through false allegations and misinformation.
“We will not sit back and allow persons with negative motives to tarnish his hard-earned image through baseless allegations and misinformation,” it vowed
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The group further called on security agencies and prosecuting authorities to ensure that anyone found culpable of criminal defamation or acts capable of causing a breach of public peace is prosecuted in accordance with the law.
It concluded by expressing confidence in Gbajabiamila’s integrity, describing him as a public servant with an outstanding record of service.