Immediate past Publicity Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Seye Oladejo, has cautioned Nigerians against subjecting the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to what he described as “trial by social media” over the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and its self-acclaimed Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, in the saga popularly dubbed “Adeyemigate.”
Oladejo argued that allegations circulating on social media should not be mistaken for established facts, insisting that due process and credible investigations, rather than online speculation, should determine the truth behind the controversy.

Oladejo, in a statement on Friday, argued that the increasing tendency to convict public officials through social media campaigns, rather than through established legal and investigative processes, poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and the rule of law.
According to him, the online campaign against Gbajabiamila reflects a growing culture in which allegations are treated as established facts without due investigation.

“The latest online frenzy christened ‘Adeyemigate’ is yet another reminder that in today’s Nigeria, social media has become the preferred venue for instant convictions, where evidence is optional, emotions are supreme and reputations are destroyed at the speed of a trending hashtag,” he said.
He expressed concern that politically motivated actors, content creators and online influencers were increasingly substituting facts with speculation and encouraging the public to reach conclusions before investigations are completed.

“It is becoming increasingly fashionable for politically motivated actors, content creators and digital propagandists to substitute facts with speculation, elevate allegations to convictions and expect the public to abandon reason in favour of orchestrated outrage. Unfortunately, this culture is steadily eroding the very foundation of our democratic values,” Oladejo stated.
The APC chieftain maintained that while public officials should remain accountable for their actions, they are equally entitled to the constitutional rights of fair hearing and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

He stressed that social media platforms cannot replace legally constituted institutions responsible for investigating allegations and determining guilt or innocence.
“Hashtags are not evidence. Trending topics are not judgments. Influencers are not judges, and anonymous accounts are certainly not prosecutors,” he said.

Oladejo called on security and investigative agencies to carry out their responsibilities professionally and without external pressure, insisting that evidence rather than public sentiment should determine the outcome of any investigation.
“If allegations have been made, let the appropriate security and investigative agencies do their work professionally and without interference. Let evidence speak louder than emotions. Let institutions, not internet mobs, determine the facts,” he added.

He warned that the growing culture of trying individuals on social media encourages misinformation, selective outrage and the destruction of reputations even before investigations are concluded.
According to him, public discourse has increasingly followed a pattern in which allegations are amplified by political opponents, sensationalised by influencers and accepted as facts before any official findings are released.

“Months afterwards, when facts emerge or investigations tell a different story, the damage to reputations has already been done. The accusers simply move on to the next target without apologising for the falsehoods they helped to spread,” he said.
Oladejo noted that Gbajabiamila’s decades-long career in public service, during which he served as Minority Leader, Majority Leader, Speaker of the House of Representatives and now Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, naturally subjects him to public scrutiny, but argued that such scrutiny should not be transformed into persecution.

He maintained that no public official should be shielded from investigation where credible allegations exist, just as none should be condemned simply because accusations have gained traction online.
“This is bigger than Gbajabiamila. Tomorrow another public official could become the victim. The day after, it could be an opposition leader or even an ordinary citizen with no platform to defend themselves. If we legitimise trial by social media today, we destroy the safeguards that protect every Nigerian tomorrow,” he said.

Oladejo urged Nigerians to allow the relevant institutions to establish the facts surrounding the allegations without intimidation or undue influence, insisting that democracy is sustained by strong institutions rather than social media campaigns.
“The Constitution remains superior to trending hashtags. The rule of law must always prevail over the rule of algorithms,” he added.

He concluded by saying that Gbajabiamila was not asking for special treatment but deserved the same constitutional protections available to every Nigerian, including fairness, due process and justice.