Legal practitioner, Jiti Ogunye, has argued that the call for the resignation of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linked to the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), would undermine the pursuit of justice rather than advance it.
Naijaonpoint reports that Ogunye made this known while speaking on Journalists’ Hangout on TVC, saying there was no legal or factual basis to demand Gbajabiamila’s resignation since he had neither been indicted nor charged with any offence.
Ogunye argued that Gbajabiamila’s resignation should be considered only if his continued stay in office would obstruct investigations or compromise their integrity.
According to him, asking Gbajabiamila to vacate office at the early stage of the investigation would reinforce public assumptions that the allegations against him by the PFIPC DC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, were true, despite the constitutional presumption of innocence.
Ogunye maintained that the Chief of Staff is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, warning against the growing tendency to convict public officials in the court of public opinion before investigations are concluded.
He said, “Why should he resign?. His resignation will be more injurious to the pursuit of justice than his continued occupancy of office, in my view.”
Speaking on the allegations made by Adeyemi, Ogunye alleged that the claimant forged documents, including a purported appointment letter, a government gazette and an Act of Parliament, to create the impression that he had been appointed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
According to him, investigations revealed that the purported agency was fictitious and that Adeyemi’s alleged scheme was designed to establish a false presence within the federal bureaucracy that could later be used to deceive individuals, financial institutions and prospective investors.
Ogunye further dismissed claims that Gbajabiamila benefited from the alleged scheme, stating that the Chief of Staff had consistently maintained that he neither knew nor had any dealings with Adeyemi.
He added that a public disclaimer issued by the Office of the Chief of Staff followed reports that Adeyemi continued to parade himself as head of the purported agency despite police intervention.
The legal practitioner stressed that allegations, no matter how serious, must be properly investigated and subjected to due process, insisting that public officials should not be compelled to resign solely based on unproven accusations.
