“FORM A GOVERNMENT FIRST”: Wike Blasts Opposition Demands For Chief of Staff Gbajabiamila’s Sack Over ₦1.3bn Budget Scandal

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ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a fierce political counter-offensive against opposition parties calling for the immediate removal of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Wike dismissed the coordinated outrage surrounding the ₦1.32 billion “ghost agency” budget line as a desperate political distraction. He told opposition leaders that they lack the constitutional or moral authority to dictate personnel decisions to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“By Whom? The Opposition?”

Wike’s remarks came in direct response to formal communiqués issued by major opposition groups, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). These groups have demanded that Gbajabiamila step down or face dismissal over allegations made by the detained “Director-General” of the fraudulent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi. ^{Adeyemi claimed that the Chief of Staff facilitated the scheme and demanded a ₦600 million kickback.}

Defending the presidency’s top administrator, Wike challenged the opposition’s right to interfere in executive appointments.

“I know the chief of staff very, very well. He did not,” Wike fired back during an interactive session in Abuja. “People are saying the chief of staff must be sacked. By whom? The opposition? Why not form a government, and then you can sack whoever you want to sack.”

Wike Defends Institutional Integrity

The FCT Minister maintained that the administration will not succumb to media-driven trials engineered by political rivals who are still reeling from past electoral defeats. He noted that President Tinubu has already displayed unmatched transparency by referring the entire PFIPC budget entry case to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for an independent criminal audit.

Wike argued that it is structurally absurd for political groups that failed to secure a mandate at the polls to think they can reorganize the internal cabinet of the sitting president.

Deepening Fractures Within the Polity

The Minister’s aggressive defense highlights the growing political tension ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. ^{While opposition coalitions maintain that allowing Gbajabiamila to remain in office while the ICPC investigates his office creates a conflict of interest, Wike and other ruling party loyalists view the calls as a strategy to destabilize the presidency.}

Wike concluded by advising the opposition to focus their energy on resolving their own internal party crises and building a viable platform for the next elections, rather than trying to act as an un-elected human resources department for the current administration.

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