Dalung urges probe of Gbajabiamila over PFIPC scandal

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has demanded the suspension of the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal. Dalung identified Gbajabiamila as the "number one suspect" in the matter, asserting that a thorough investigation is impossible without scrutinizing the Chief of Staff's office.

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Anybody who is not looking at the Chief of Staff to the President as a prime suspect is complicit in the entire transaction and needs to be investigated.

"Anybody who is not looking at the Chief of Staff to the President as a prime suspect is complicit in the entire transaction and needs to be investigated," Dalung stated during an appearance on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily. He argued that Gbajabiamila, as the President's "ear and the eyes" and gatekeeper, should have been suspended immediately to allow for an unimpeded investigation.

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The Chief of Staff, who is the ear and the eyes of the President, the gatekeeper, and the first contact point with the office of the President, should, by this time, have been suspended before any other investigation because they are not going to make any headway without him.

Dalung questioned how businessman Adeyemi Matthew could have accessed the Presidential Villa, emphasizing the strict security protocols in place. "Adeniyi did not access the Villa except when somebody granted him a pass. The Villa is not Zone 4 or a marketplace," he said, adding that even with an appointment, accreditation and security clearance are mandatory.

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Adeniyi did not access the Villa except when somebody granted him a pass. The Villa is not Zone 4 or a marketplace.

The former minister insisted that the Chief of Staff must be held accountable for the events, suggesting he may have misled the President, withheld crucial information due to personal interests, or pursued a selfish agenda. The Presidency had previously dismissed claims by Matthew, stating he was an impostor who forged documents to represent a non-existent agency. However, Dalung believes the investigation should extend to other senior government officials, including the President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the National Security Adviser, and heads of security and financial agencies, whom he believes played roles in embarrassing Nigeria.

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The Chief of Staff to the President is the number one suspect because he is responsible for either misleading the President, deliberately failing to provide the relevant information because of his vested interest in the matter, or creating this embarrassing situation in pursuit of a personal and selfish agenda.