According to an investigative report by Peoples Gazette, which cited documents reviewed by the outlet, Gbajabiamila allegedly drafted a memo weeks after President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, requesting that four percent of NUPRC’s cost of collection be split into two parts. The first portion, 2.5 percent, was reportedly earmarked for the commission’s operations and capital expenditure. However, the remaining 1.5 percent was allegedly claimed for “upgrading of crude oil and gas metering and transparency systems” — a designation the report says has no basis in the relevant law.
Consequently, the allegation suggests the second tranche functioned as a personal diversion mechanism rather than a legitimate budget line. The report further claims the request was presented to NUPRC as though it carried presidential authorization, even though the President does not hold statutory power to direct how the commission’s revenue is appropriated.
Gbajabiamila NUPRC ₦54 billion: What the Law Reportedly Says
Under Section 24(1) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2023, NUPRC’s fund and expenditures are subject to appropriation by the National Assembly, not by presidential directive. Therefore, if the allegations hold up, the memo would have bypassed the very legislative process the law requires.
Gbajabiamila NUPRC ₦54 billion: The Presidency Responds
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has defended Gbajabiamila, rejecting the claim that any money was improperly commandeered. Onanuga told Peoples Gazette that the order to NUPRC fell:
“within the right of the Mr President as president and C-in-C.”
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Nevertheless, critics argue that this defense sidesteps the central issue: the President’s constitutional authority does not extend to directing how NUPRC’s revenue is shared, meaning the “presidential order” cited in the memo may itself have been improperly invoked.
A Pattern Beyond NUPRC
The NUPRC episode is not presented as an isolated incident. Similarly, the report alleges that Gbajabiamila approached other major revenue-generating agencies — including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (now the Nigeria Revenue Service), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Nigeria Customs Service — using comparable tactics shortly after assuming office in June 2023.
Additionally, the allegations arrive against the backdrop of other unresolved controversies involving the Chief of Staff, including a separate scandal over the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a reportedly fictitious agency that nonetheless received a ₦1.3 billion budget allocation. Opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have since called for an independent investigation into Gbajabiamila’s conduct.
Calls for Accountability Grow
As a result, pressure is mounting on the Tinubu administration to address the allegations directly rather than through blanket denials. Atiku’s camp has argued that public officials should face the same scrutiny regardless of rank, while rights lawyer Femi Falana has separately urged Gbajabiamila to step aside pending a full probe into related matters.
At the time of publication, Gbajabiamila had not issued a personal, on-the-record response to the NUPRC allegations specifically.
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