Tinubu’s Allies, Gbajabiamila, Faleke Battle Over Chief of Staff, Speakership Positions

Conflict has reportedly emerged among some allies of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu ahead of his inauguration, over the positions of Chief of Staff and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Femi Gbajabiamila, the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Lagos lawmaker, James Faleke are reportedly at odds over these two crucial roles.

Faleke, a longtime associate of Tinubu, is thought to be the initial choice for Chief of Staff.

However, he is also interested in the Speaker position and has been promoting his candidate to Tinubu.

Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila is now considered the favourite for the Chief of Staff role, having increased his lobbying efforts.

He too has designs on the Speaker position and intends to install a loyalist in the House of Representatives.

An anonymous source that spoke with Vanguard confirmed that Tinubu is more comfortable letting members choose and has not endorsed either candidate.

The source stated, “Tinubu is ready to work with any member of the House that is a product of his colleague’s decisions after all the consultations.”

The source went on to criticize the actions of Gbajabiamila and Faleke as “shameful” and “selfish.”

The source encouraged lawmakers-elect to vote independently and not be swayed by candidates presented by Gbajabiamila or Faleke.

They also stressed that neither candidate has Tinubu’s blessing and are pursuing their own interests.