President Bola Tinubu on Monday debunked claims that his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila has been “trading off appointments…to the highest bidder.”
The president stressed his “absolute confidence” in Gbajabiamila’s integrity just before the commencement of this week’s federal executive council meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
A report had alleged that Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, was commercialising federal appointments.
The report alleged a growing outcry among Tinubu’s loyalists for Gbajabiamila to be removed from the seat of power.
Citing the appointment of 10 resident electoral commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the report quoted sources who claimed that the name of Ekiti REC was replaced with the name of a former commissioner under the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.
“Another source noted that President’s Private Principal Secretary Akeem Okunola, was already doing some of his (Gbajabiamila’s) work…the President was already putting up a team that will help the CoS,” the report said.
However, reacting to the allegations, Tinubu said: “I have absolute confidence in my chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. So, all campaign of calumny, the buck stops here! If I make mistakes, I’ll own up to them.
“Like everyone in the country, I make mistakes. And when I make mistakes, I iron them out and correct them. Perfection is of God Almighty.”