Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has appointed the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as his Chief of Staff.

The high-ranked lawmaker was introduced as the new chief of staff at the meeting between the president and the security chiefs held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday morning.

According to reports, the president considered all potential candidates vying for the position among his supporters before choosing Gbajabiamila.

While reacting to the appointment on her official Twitter account, the wife of the president, Remi Tinubu, congratulated the Speaker for the “well-deserved appointment as Chief of Staff to the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

She tweeted: “Congratulations Femi Gbajabiamila on a well-deserved appointment as Chief of Staff to the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“This appointment was made based on merit, courage, competence and good heart. I wish you a good service.”

Femi Gbajabiamila would have to renounce his election to the House of Representatives for the sixth term since he had not yet received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This appointment would pave the way for other All Progressives Congress candidates who had given up on running for the House of Representatives seat in Surulere constituency 1 to replace the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Who is Gbajabiamila?

Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila CFR, was born 25 June 1962. He’s a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Gbajabiamila has served as Speaker of the House of Representatives since 2019.

The new Chief of Staff to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003, where he represented the Surulere I constituency of Lagos State.

A Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2022.

What does a chief of staff do?

The chief of staff is an appointed position by the president. The chief of staff is expected to support the president and assist him in overseeing the internal affairs of the Aso Rock Villa among others. Success in this role requires strong leadership, communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.