Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives, has been appointed president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chief of staff.
Former Benue State Governor and former Minister of Special Duties George Akume was appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) by Tinubu, according to a statement from State House spokesman Abiodun Oladunjoye.
As the vice chief of staff, the president also appointed Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, a former deputy governor of Jigawa State.
Governors chosen on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform are currently in a meeting with Tinubu.
When questioned on Thursday about his rumored appointment as Tinubu’s chief of staff, Gbajabiamila remained silent.
“Be patient. The system works in its own way – allow the system to work,” Gbajabiamila told a journalist who quizzed him at the State House in Abuja.
According to a report by Leadership Newspaper, Tinubu named Gbajabiamila as his chief of staff. The report was not officially confirmed.
During the National Assembly elections in February, Gbajabiamila was re-elected to serve the Surulere Constituency in Lagos State as a member of the House of Representatives.
Due to his prominence in the majority of the president’s engagements since the election, which was held on the same day as the Tinubu-won presidential election, Gbajabiamila has been dubbed the president’s “right hand man.”
If Gbajabiamila is chosen to be his chief of staff, Tinubu would have made a wise choice, according to Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
“I am waiting for the announcement. You are speculating,” Lawan said. “I’m not. The speaker of the house of representatives has been rumoured to be the chief of staff designate. First of all, I pray that it comes to pass. If that happens, Mr president would have made a wise decision.
“At this moment, you need a chief of staff with very versed experience in the area of legislation, in the area of cooperating with the executive which the speaker spearheaded from the house.”
