By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has urged Nigerians to refrain from convicting the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, in the court of public opinion over allegations linking him to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Showunmi said while public office holders must remain accountable, allegations should not be mistaken for established facts, insisting that the ongoing investigations and judicial processes should be allowed to run their full course without interference.

The former Ogun State governorship aspirant spoke against the backdrop of allegations by Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the PFIPC, a body the Presidency has since disowned as fictitious.

Adeyemi had alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a significant share of the council’s purported take-off grant and diverted hundreds of millions of naira.

However, the Chief of Staff has denied the allegations, maintaining that he has never met or communicated with Adeyemi. Through his lawyers, Gbajabiamila also threatened a ₦10 billion defamation suit against those behind the claims.

Following the controversy, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the allegations.

Reacting in a statement titled, “The Burden of the Chief of Staff: Why Silence Is Often Mistaken for Guilt,” Showunmi warned against what he described as the growing culture of “trial by social media,” saying it undermines the rule of law and weakens democratic institutions.

According to him, the Office of the Chief of Staff remains one of the most misunderstood positions in government because its responsibilities require discretion rather than constant public engagement.

He said: “The office demands effectiveness, not visibility. It demands discretion, not publicity. It requires silence, even when accusations are flying.”

Showunmi explained that the Chief of Staff occupies a strategic position at the centre of government, coordinating presidential activities, managing competing interests, ensuring policy coherence and overseeing strategic implementation, all while maintaining confidentiality.

The former spokesman to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar observed that the rise of social media has encouraged a dangerous trend in which allegations are quickly accepted as truth without evidence or institutional verification.

He said: “Too often, citizens hear an allegation and immediately assume guilt. A whisper becomes a headline. A conspiracy becomes accepted wisdom. A social media post becomes a substitute for investigation.”

According to him, because many of the responsibilities of the Chief of Staff involve sensitive national matters that cannot be discussed publicly, silence is frequently misinterpreted.

“His silence is often not weakness. It is discipline. His restraint is often not guilt. It is responsibility,” he stated.

Showunmi noted that the allegations are already before the courts and are equally being investigated by relevant agencies, including the ICPC, stressing that the institutions constitutionally empowered to determine the facts should be allowed to perform their duties.

“When allegations arise, institutions must investigate. When disputes emerge, courts must adjudicate. When facts are contested, evidence must prevail,” he said.

He cautioned Nigerians against substituting public sentiment for legal processes, insisting that democracy thrives when justice is based on facts rather than speculation.

“Accountability must not be replaced by mob judgment. Democracy requires evidence, not assumptions; facts, not gossip; investigation, not insinuation,” Showunmi declared.

Reflecting on Gbajabiamila’s public service record, the PDP chieftain said the former Speaker of the House of Representatives has spent decades in public office and should be subjected to fair and evidence-based scrutiny.

He added that history often judges strategic public servants differently because many of their most significant contributions are carried out away from public attention.

“The Office of the Chief of Staff was never designed to be popular. It was designed to make government work,” he said.

While reiterating that no public official should be above the law, Showunmi maintained that every accused person is entitled to fairness and the presumption of innocence.

“Femi Gbajabiamila, like every public official, must remain accountable to the law and to the Nigerian people. But he is equally entitled to fairness, due process and the presumption that allegations are not facts until proven as such.”

He warned that allowing rumours and speculation to replace evidence would erode public confidence in democratic institutions.

“If every silence becomes guilt, every accusation becomes truth, and every whisper becomes a verdict, then we risk creating a society where perception permanently triumphs over reality. That would be a tragedy not just for one public official, but for the very foundations of democratic governance itself,” he said.