Insinuations that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu is involved in appointment racketeering as claimed by some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is false, TheScrutinyNG has exclusively gathered.
Also, reports that the president has stripped him of sole rights to make appointments and has directed that all appointments must be routed through the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) is untrue.
Findings by our correspondent showed that at no time did the President gave Gbajabiamila the sole rights to make appointments on his behalf.
Late last year, rumours were rife that Gbajabiamila might have fallen out of favour with his principal after some concerned stakeholders in the party claimed that he had been involved in appointments’ racketeering and has been “trading off appointments in the government of President Tinubu to the highest bidder”.
However, President Tinubu, during a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) warned those waging a campaign of calumny to desist, saying he has implicit trust in his Chief of Staff.
Credible sources in the presidency disclosed to our correspondent that Tinubu may have decided to back Gbajabiamila because as president, he knows how the issue of appointments, especially at the federal level works.
One of the Special Advisers to the President who spoke with our correspondent said even as Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila doesn’t have the sole rights or powers to make appointments as erroneously claimed.
“Those making the allegations are outside. They are not in the presidency and they do not know more than the president who appointed the Chief of Staff. I think they are just desperate but the reality is, not everyone can be appointed”.
” For all those who have been appointed, they got there because president allowed them. Gbajabiamila, as chief of staff cannot on his own appoint anyone. He can only recommend someone but the president sees and approves every appointment in the government”.
” You can only sell what belongs to you. If Gbajabiamila sells an appointment to someone as being claimed. If the president did not approve the appointment, what then happens?”.
Our source admitted however, that Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff has been using his closeness to the president to make recommendations, which according to him, anybody in his position will do.
“Ideally, the Chief of Staff is a very powerful position. The president can’t make you his Chief of Staff if he doesn’t know you inside out. You must be very close to him to merit that position. Among his staff, the Chief of Staff is the first to see the president and the last to see him”.
“So, there is no doubt that Gbajabiamila has been using his closeness to President Tinubu to recommend people for appointments. He has been with the president for a long time fighting his cause when Tinubu was in the opposition. Anyone close to the president enough including the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu and Seyi his son can influence appointments. That is how it works”.
“The only advantage the people around the president have is to recommend to him when he is looking for people because of their proximity and availability on those occasions”.
“The president doesn’t know everybody but Gbajabiamila as a former Speaker is likely to know many politicians from all parts of the country. Don’t forget, many of the lawmakers in the 9th national assembly lost their reelection bid due to the 2022 Electoral Act which was passed into law”
“So, if tomorrow, the President says we need an ambassador from the North-West or an engineer from the South-South for a federal works position, Gbajabiamila will look for his loyalists from North-West and South-South for him. That is how it works”.
Speaking further, our source said many people lobbying to see the president usually discuss the issue of appointments or contracts with him when given the opportunity.
“Most of those blaming Gbajabiamila will do the same thing if they were in his position. If they enjoy the kind of closeness he has with the president, they will use it to appoint their persons into key positions”.
” Even those who are not close to the president, once they lobby and are privileged to see him, the major thing they always discuss is appointments, either for them or their cronies. Others discuss how to get contracts, oil blocs and so on. Only very a few of them will discuss the problems being experienced in their communities and how the president can assist them”.
” It is only when they can’t see the president or their wishes are not granted that is when you hear things like appointments are being sold or the president has been caged”.
