Summary: Former presidential spokesperson Laolu Akande joins growing voices calling on Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to step aside amid the PFIPC fake agency scandal, warning that Nigerians will lose faith in government if action is not taken.
The calls are getting louder, and this time, it is not just ordinary Nigerians venting frustration on social media. A former presidential spokesperson has thrown his weight behind those demanding that the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, step aside from his position as the controversy surrounding the alleged fake agency — the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Investment Committee (PFIPC) — continues to spiral.
Laolu Akande, who served as spokesperson to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, made his position clear: if Gbajabiamila does not do the honourable thing and vacate his office while the matter is properly investigated, the average Nigerian on the street — from Balogun Market in Lagos to Wuse Market in Abuja — will have yet another reason to distrust the government.
The Scandal That Has Nigerians Talking
For those who may just be catching up, the PFIPC scandal involves serious allegations that a government body was either fictitious or operated outside the bounds of any known legal framework. The controversy has raised uncomfortable questions about how public funds may have been managed and who authorised the activities of the so-called committee.
Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives who many Nigerians once regarded as a sharp legislative mind, now finds himself at the centre of this storm. His connection to the PFIPC has placed him under intense scrutiny at a time when the Tinubu administration is already battling to convince Nigerians that it is serious about fighting corruption and fixing the economy.
“Nigerians Won’t Trust Government” — Akande’s Warning
Akande’s intervention carries significant weight because he is not a political opponent throwing stones from across the aisle. He is someone who understands how the corridors of power work and what it means for a government to maintain credibility with its citizens.
His message is simple but powerful: accountability must not be selective. If the Tinubu administration preaches transparency and anti-corruption, then those principles must apply equally — from the smallest civil servant in a local government secretariat to the most powerful official sitting in Aso Rock.
For many Nigerians who have watched government scandals come and go without consequence — remember how many “probes” simply disappeared into thin air? — Akande’s call is a familiar one. But it is no less urgent for being familiar.
The Bigger Picture: Trust as Nigeria’s Most Scarce Resource
Let us be honest with ourselves. Trust between Nigerian citizens and their government is already running dangerously low. After years of watching billions of naira allegedly looted with little or no prosecution, after enduring economic hardship while officials live large, and after seeing probe after probe yield nothing, Nigerians are understandably cynical.
The PFIPC scandal, if not handled decisively and transparently, risks becoming another entry in that long, painful catalogue of unresolved government controversies.
Stepping aside is not an admission of guilt. In mature democracies — and in the kind of Nigeria we all deserve — stepping aside during an investigation is simply the right thing to do. It protects the integrity of the investigation, it signals respect for public concern, and it demonstrates that no one is above accountability.
What Nigerians Want to See
Across the country, from the pepper seller in Onitsha to the tech bro in Yaba, the sentiment is the same: we are tired of “we are looking into it.” Nigerians want to see:
– Clear, transparent investigation into the PFIPC and its activities
– Accountability for all involved, regardless of political connections
– Definitive answers on whether public funds were mismanaged
– Consequences that match the scale of the alleged wrongdoing
A Test for the Tinubu Administration
Make no mistake — how this administration handles the PFIPC scandal will send a loud message to every Nigerian. It will either say: “We mean business when we talk about accountability,”* or it will say: *”It’s business as usual.”
Laolu Akande has spoken. Civil society groups have spoken. Concerned Nigerians across the country have spoken.
The question now is whether those in power are listening.
As this story continues to develop, Nigerians will be watching closely. The administration has an opportunity here — not just to address a scandal, but to begin rebuilding the trust that governance in this country so desperately needs.
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