Gbajabiamila: CPTA Urges Restraint, Cautions Against Media Trial

The Center for Peace Transparency and Accountability (CPTA) has called on Nigerians to exercise restraint and allow due process to take its course following recent allegations circulating in the media against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

In a statement signed by its executive director, Comrade Patrick Ogheneyero, in Abuja, the organisation stressed that while allegations of misconduct against public officials should be treated seriously, they must be subjected to lawful investigation and supported by credible evidence before conclusions are drawn.

According to the group, media reports, public opinion and politically charged narratives should not replace constitutional principles of fairness, insisting that allegations remain unproven until established by competent authorities.

CPTA noted that as of the time of its statement, no court of competent jurisdiction or duly constituted anti-corruption agency had found the Chief of Staff culpable in relation to the claims being circulated.

“It would therefore be premature, unfair and contrary to the principles of natural justice to convict any public official in the court of public opinion,” the organization stated.

The group expressed concern over what it described as an increasing trend of politically sensitive allegations being amplified through the media before independent verification of the facts, warning that such practices could erode public confidence in democratic institutions and weaken the credibility of genuine anti-corruption efforts.

It further recalled that the Office of the Chief of Staff had previously distanced the Presidency from the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, maintaining that no such office exists under the current administration.

According to CPTA, the current controversy appears to have arisen within the context of that disagreement, making it even more imperative for the public to approach the matter with caution rather than emotion.

Highlighting the responsibilities of the Office of the Chief of Staff, the organization said the office occupies a strategic administrative position within the Presidency, coordinating presidential schedules, supervising internal workflow, facilitating inter-agency communication, supporting executive decision-making and ensuring the efficient transmission of official government business.