Some loyalists of President Bola Tinubu have accused the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila of selling appointments to the highest bidders, Daily Post reports.
This report noted that this has caused outrage among members of the public who are calling for a thorough investigation into the matter and demanding the immediate suspension of Gbajabiamila for allegedly profiting from government appointments.
Last week, the President appointed 10 Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, sources told the newspaper that since the beginning of President Tinubu’s administration, Gbajabiamila has been replacing some of the names of individuals approved by the President for appointments with his own choices.
One of the examples cited is the replacement of the name of Ekiti REC with the name of a former commissioner under the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.
The source was quoted by Daily Post saying: “The REC from Ekiti that he (Gbajabiamila) put there, the man was Fayemi’s former commissioner, that was not the person Asiwaju signed off on. The person Asiwaju signed off on was one Toyin (Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola), the former Legal Adviser of INEC.
“But when the announcement was made, two members of the President’s cabinet met with him too complain that the person they nominated had been changed with another person.
“The President was infuriated, he said he checked the name of the woman before he signed the list.
“He summoned his CoS, but when he arrived, he was stuttering. The President asked him to bring the list he signed.
“The President said so, what he has been hearing is true that whenever he signs something, it will be changed. The President gave three instances, that he signed for something and was changed. He felt bad and gave him the last warning. He directed that the woman’s name must be on the list.”
The source added that following Gbajabiamila’s alleged actions, a plan was in place to ease him out of the Villa by giving him an ambassadorial appointment.
“This is like the 5th time the CoS is embarrassing the President. There is a plan to ease him out of Villa by giving him an ambassadorial position,” the source said.
Another source noted that the President’s Private Principal Secretary, PPS, Akeem Okunola, was already doing some of Gbajabiamila’s work pending the resolution of the issue.
Besides, it was gathered that the President was already putting up a team that would help the CoS.
The source continued: “The National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) issue too, that wasn’t the person Asiwaju recommended for the position. Halima Sheu was the one recommended by Asiwaju.
“Sadiya Farouq sacked Sheu, the immediate past Minister of Finance because she was campaigning for us. When she was sacked, Asiwaju promised to return her to the same position or a higher one.”
