ABUJA, Nigeria — Femi Gbajabiamila turned 64 on June 28. The Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received the expected birthday wishes. But the message from Femi Fani-Kayode, the Ambassador-Designate to South Africa, carried weight beyond a simple greeting.
Fani-Kayode issued a statement that traced a friendship spanning 50 years. He recalled “those heady yet great days” in the 1970s in Surulere, Lagos, and later in London. The bond formed before power, before political office.
The geography is precise. Mutual friends Folabie Caxton Martins and Wole Atunrase lived “just round the corner” from Gbajabiamila. These were neighborhood kids who grew up together on a residential street in Lagos. That street became the foundation of a working relationship now central to Nigerian governance.
Fani-Kayode recalled a moment from 1990. Gbajabiamila sharply criticized the late Chief Bola Ige. That year, both men entered politics together. Thirty-four years later, Fani-Kayode’s assessment was blunt: “You have never let me or any of us down.”
In Nigerian politics, where alliances shift weekly, a 34-year unbroken trust is rare currency.
Gbajabiamila returned from America in 2004 with his wife Saa. They visited then-President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Villa. They announced they would settle in Abuja. That decision placed Gbajabiamila at the center of political life. He later opened a restaurant and bar in Abuja with his wife. Fani-Kayode described it as a gathering spot for “all those that mattered.” It was network building, a physical place where power congregated.
Fani-Kayode made a prediction. When Gbajabiamila was first elected to the House of Representatives, Fani-Kayode said he would become Speaker. The prediction held. Gbajabiamila served as Speaker from 2019 to 2023. Then he moved to his current role as Chief of Staff.
Fani-Kayode called Gbajabiamila a “profoundly good man.” He commended his work in public office and service to the country. The message carries weight because both men hold positions in the current administration. It is a public endorsement from one top official to another, reinforcing the cohesion of the Tinubu team.
The forces behind this event are simple. Old friendships that survived politics. Shared history that outlasted elections. A network that started in Surulere and now runs the country. Gbajabiamila is Chief of Staff. Fani-Kayode is Ambassador-Designate to South Africa. They will continue to work together. The bond is not new. It is just older than most political relationships in Nigeria.
