Gbajabiamila Returns to Surulere With ₦1.15bn Empowerment After Investigation Clearance

Reloaded News Desk

Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has returned to his Surulere political base with a ₦1.15 billion empowerment programme after saying investigations by the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission cleared him of wrongdoing.

Gbajabiamila spoke on Saturday at the 2026 edition of the Gbaja Mega Empowerment Programme in Surulere, Lagos, where thousands of residents received cash grants, vehicles, business equipment and other forms of support.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said the past few months had subjected him to intense scrutiny following allegations surrounding a purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

He said the investigations had now been concluded.

“At the end of all the investigations, the Nigerian Police, the DSS, the ICPC cleared me of any wrongdoing, and the investigative reports are in the public domain,” Gbajabiamila said.

The ICPC had earlier said its investigation found no evidence linking Gbajabiamila or his office to the purported council or its alleged Director-General. Gbajabiamila appeared before the commission in July during the investigation.

Reflecting on the episode, he said the experience had tested him personally and professionally.

“The past few months have tested me in ways I never expected. Stories were written, strange accusations were made, lies were told, and my integrity was questioned,” he said.

Gbajabiamila also thanked President Tinubu for allowing the investigations to run their course rather than acting on the allegations before the relevant agencies completed their inquiries.

He said some people had expected the President to reach an immediate conclusion but that Tinubu insisted on due process.

The Chief of Staff subsequently used the Surulere event to unveil a major grassroots intervention covering cash assistance and productive assets.

According to him, 3,905 beneficiaries received ₦250,000 each, while another 348 received ₦500,000 each.

The programme also included 61 electric vehicles, 50 electric tricycles, 60 minibuses and 100 laptops, alongside four Toyota HiAce buses, two security patrol vehicles, a medical ambulance and other vehicles.

Gbajabiamila said the programme had originally been scheduled for June but was postponed to enable organisers to verify submissions from wards, trade associations and community groups.

He said the verification was intended to ensure that beneficiaries received the items allocated to them.

The empowerment package also has a transportation component, with Gbajabiamila highlighting the use of electric vehicles and other cleaner-energy options as part of efforts to create economic opportunities while reducing transportation costs.

He said charging infrastructure would also be developed to support the growing use of electric vehicles.

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the event, commended the initiative and urged beneficiaries not to sell the items they received.

Hamzat said the support should be used to expand businesses, create opportunities and improve household welfare.

The event also carried a clear political dimension, with Gbajabiamila urging Surulere residents to support President Tinubu and All Progressives Congress candidates in the 2027 elections.

He appealed for support for Hamzat’s governorship bid, as well as APC candidates contesting National Assembly and Lagos State House of Assembly seats.

“All of this leads to one message for 2027. The work has started, and it must continue,” Gbajabiamila told the gathering.

He also warned people against using his name or office to defraud members of the public, saying those involved would face legal consequences.

Gbajabiamila said the investigations and the controversy surrounding them would not distract him from his responsibilities as Chief of Staff.

“No amount of money, no amount of blackmail or lies, whether sponsored from within or outside, will detract me from my work and the work Mr. President has given me to do,” he said.

The Surulere programme therefore combined Gbajabiamila’s response to months of scrutiny with a large-scale constituency intervention, as he returned to direct engagement with residents in the federal constituency he represented in the House of Representatives for more than two decades.