By Our Reporter
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The National Secretary of Project One Nigeria, Dr. Murtala Idris, has defended the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, insisting that President has retained confidence in him because security intelligence available to the President has shown that allegations against the presidential aide lack merit.
In a statement, Idris dismissed calls by some critics for Gbajabiamila’s removal, arguing that the President was fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the allegations and was not influenced by social media campaigns.
According to him, Tinubu understands the workings of government and is aware of the roles played by key public institutions, including the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Budget Office.
He further contended that political actors who fail to secure appointments or gain access to the President often direct their frustrations at the Chief of Staff, describing the position as one that naturally attracts criticism because of its gatekeeping responsibilities.
Drawing a comparison with former White House Chief of Staff under former United States President , Idris said chiefs of staff across the world are often subjected to attacks and media scrutiny because of the sensitive nature of their offices.
The Project One Nigeria official also defended Gbajabiamila’s personal integrity, citing his decision in 2011, while serving as the opposition leader in the House of Representatives, to decline the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) national honour offered by then President.
According to Idris, Gbajabiamila rejected the honour because he believed the national honours system required reforms and insisted that awards should be based on transparent criteria and reserved for deserving recipients.
He argued that the former Speaker’s stance reflected a longstanding commitment to accountability and principled public service.
On the controversy surrounding the PFIPC and Adeyemi Mathew matter, Idris claimed that civil society groups and commentators had pointed to Gbajabiamila’s previous record in defending his integrity. He further alleged that Gbajabiamila had, through a whistleblower petition submitted in October 2025 to the Police and the DSS, sought official investigation into the matter rather than evade scrutiny.
Idris also referred to a disclaimer allegedly issued by the Chief of Staff on June 16, 2026, stating that some individuals had expected him to remain silent instead of exposing what he described as a cartel.
Responding to demands for the establishment of a special investigative panel and for Gbajabiamila to step aside, Idris maintained that the matter was already before a competent court.
“The panel in this case is the court, not the media court,” he said, noting that the next hearing in the case has been scheduled for July 14, 2026.
He added that Gbajabiamila himself was interested in seeing the issues surrounding the PFIPC allegations fully investigated and resolved through the judicial process.
