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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
A coalition of more than 350 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has rallied behind the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, dismissing allegations made against him as false, baseless and unsupported by credible evidence.
Here’s a version that omits the accuser’s name while preserving the substance of the report:
350 CSOs Back Gbajabiamila, Dismiss Allegations, Seek Accuser’s Prosecution
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
A coalition of more than 350 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has rallied behind the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, dismissing allegations made against him as false, baseless and unsupported by credible evidence.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday after an emergency meeting, the coalition said it was compelled to speak out to “set the records straight” over claims linking the President’s Chief of Staff to the alleged establishment of a so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The coalition maintained that the body referenced in the allegations does not exist and accused the accuser of attempting to tarnish Gbajabiamila’s reputation through unsubstantiated claims.
In a statement jointly signed by representatives of the participating organisations, the CSOs said they had thoroughly reviewed the allegations and found no evidence to support them.
“We have carefully examined the claims and allegations and have seen that they are untrue and intended to tarnish the image of the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, without substantive evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt,” the coalition stated.
The groups further alleged that the accuser was attempting to whip up public sentiment against the presidential aide by portraying himself as a victim of intimidation.
They described Gbajabiamila as a distinguished statesman and globally respected parliamentarian, pointing to his achievements as Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, including restoring the January–December budget cycle, facilitating the passage of major economic reforms, and championing legislation benefiting students, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable Nigerians.
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The coalition also highlighted his sponsorship of landmark bills such as the Students’ Loan Bill, the Emergency Economic Stimulus Bill, the Criminalisation of Estimated Billing System Bill and the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, while praising his legislative leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the CSOs, Gbajabiamila’s record of public service and professional development, including executive programmes at Stanford University, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, reflects his commitment to good governance and national development.
The coalition insisted that the Chief of Staff could not have authorised the creation of any illegal or unconstitutional body.
“We unequivocally state that the Chief of Staff cannot be unpatriotic to give a go-ahead to establish a non-existent establishment, which is illegal and unconstitutional. Therefore, the lies against him are not to be taken seriously,” the statement added.
The CSOs called on security agencies to investigate the allegations and urged authorities to arrest and prosecute the accuser, arguing that the matter should be treated seriously because of its implications for Nigeria’s image.
