Hon. Oghene Egoh, the former lawmaker, representing Amuwo-odofin Federal Constituency, said that the call by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for the suspension of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was premature and capable of undermining due process.

Egoh stated this in an interview on Saturday, in Lagos.

“Several people and organisations have labelled Atiku as corrupt, but can Atiku be called upon to resign from the presidential race because of mere allegations.

He added that while every allegation of corruption deserved to be investigated, no public official should be pronounced guilty or subjected to punitive measures without credible evidence and the outcome of an independent investigation.

“Nigeria is governed by the rule of law. Allegations alone should not be the basis for suspending any public official.

“There must be verifiable evidence and due process before such decisions are taken,” he said.

According to him, calls for suspension based solely on allegations risk politicising anti-corruption efforts and weakening public confidence in democratic institutions.

The former lawmaker urged opposition parties to avoid inflammatory statements capable of heating up the polity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He stressed that opposition parties had a constitutional responsibility to hold the government accountable, but such responsibility should be exercised objectively, responsibly and in the national interest.

Egoh urged Nigerians to allow investigative agencies to establish the facts surrounding the allegations before drawing conclusions.

He reaffirmed the need for transparency, accountability and adherence to the rule of law in public service, saying these principles remained essential to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and sustaining public trust in governance.

Egoh therefore, cautioned Atiku Abubakar from such political and defamatory statement, capable of destroying someone’s personality.

“Gbajabiamila has built his name and reputation over the years, such a public statement by Atiku calling for his suspension should be retracted.

“It is still a mere allegation, until it is proven therefore, Atiku should refrain from such public outcry calling for Gbajabiamila suspension when he has not been proven guilty of such allegations, ” he said.