The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that he once attempted to join the Nigerian Army but was disqualified, a setback that led him to pursue a career in law.
Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, made the revelation while addressing soldiers in a video that surfaced online.
According to him, his height, weight, and strength ruled him out of the military recruitment process, leaving him with no choice but to switch paths.
“Honestly, my height, my weight, my strength, everything disqualified me. Every time I attempted, I looked at the person to my right and left who also came for the interview — nobody needed to tell me to go home,” he said.
The presidential aide added that his admiration for the military remains strong, describing soldiers as a constant source of inspiration to Nigerians.
Gbajabiamila humorously noted that his rejection led him to become what he called a “bloody lawyer.”
“I admire you guys so much and it’s one of the things I aspire to, so you are an inspiration to people like us. It was when I could not join the military that I went and became a bloody lawyer. God bless you,” he added.
