Nigeria, July 15 -- Speak to politicians, contractors, lobbyists, businesspeople, or civil servants who have worked in the House of Representatives over the last 20 years or sought an audience with President Bola Tinubu, and sooner or later the conversation turns to the President's Chief of Staff. The details differ, but the stories converge on one point: fear.

It is not necessarily fear of physical violence, but rather fear of what he represents: the gatekeeper to Nigeria's most powerful office. Not even Abba Kyari came close to wielding power the way Gbajabiamila does.

In today's Nigeria, access is pure lithium. To lose access is to lose contracts, appointments, influence, protection, and sometimes even relevance. If you doubt it, as...