The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is aware that some members of his inner circle sell government appointments and access to the Presidency.
Adebayo made the allegation during an interview with Symfoni TV, where he criticised the Tinubu administration over what he described as poor governance, corruption and weak institutional oversight.
According to him, it is evident that the President is aware of the alleged activities of some of his principal aides and has failed to address them.
The SDP presidential candidate also described the current administration as a “clearing-and-forwarding government,” alleging that corruption has become deeply entrenched while the National Assembly has failed to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.
He further criticised the Senate, claiming it had abandoned its constitutional role of checking the excesses of the Executive.
Adebayo’s comments come amid ongoing public debate over bribery allegations involving the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The allegations were made by the Director of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claimed that Gbajabiamila received ₦400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional ₦200 million to facilitate his appointment.
The Presidency has denied the allegations, describing them as unfounded.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the allegations surrounding the reported bribery and forgery claims involving officials connected to the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Initiative (PFIPI).
As of the time of filing this report, presidential spokespersons had not publicly responded to Adebayo’s latest allegations.
