By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — The Arewa Youth Integrity Forum (AYIF) has rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s call for the suspension of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, over alleged bribery claims, saying the former vice president was not in a position to press for such action.

The forum said the issue was not whether the allegations against Gbajabiamila should be investigated, but whether Atiku was the appropriate person to champion the demand. It argued that public officials who call for accountability should also be open to scrutiny over their own records.

The position was contained in a statement signed by the forum’s National President, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, who defended Gbajabiamila’s record in public office and criticised Atiku’s intervention.

The forum was reacting to Atiku’s call, conveyed through his media team, for Gbajabiamila to be suspended and subjected to an independent investigation over allegations that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives demanded a N400 million bribe.

According to the forum, the allegations against Gbajabiamila deserve proper scrutiny but should not be turned into political weapons or used to distract from the broader principle of accountability in public office.

“While we support thorough investigation into any allegation, Atiku lacks the moral standing to lecture anyone on integrity. His call is nothing but political mischief aimed at distracting Nigerians from his own tainted history,” Aliyu stated.

AYIF said Gbajabiamila’s years in the National Assembly and his current role in the Presidency have been defined by legislative reforms and public service, maintaining that allegations against public officials should be addressed through due process rather than political campaigns.

The forum also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for remaining focused on governance despite what it described as distractions from the opposition.

It reaffirmed its commitment to promoting good governance and accountability, saying every public official, regardless of political affiliation or status, should be held to the same standard of transparency and public scrutiny.