PFIPC Saga: Gbajabiamila threatens N10bn lawsuit against Adeyemi

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has threatened to institute legal proceedings against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, demanding N10 billion in damages over allegations linking him to murder, bribery, corruption and abuse of office.

The threat was contained in a letter dated July 6, 2026, issued by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, on behalf of Pinheiro LP, the Chief of Staff’s legal representatives.

The dispute arose from a press conference held by Adeyemi on June 25, during which he accused Gbajabiamila of demanding a share of the alleged take-off funds of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), receiving illicit payments through intermediaries, abusing his office and participating in efforts to conceal alleged wrongdoing.

During the briefing, Adeyemi also described the Chief of Staff as “a murderer” and “an assassin” while making a series of allegations concerning the controversial council.

The Presidency has consistently maintained that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) is a fictitious organisation with no legal existence, despite its inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Rejecting the allegations, Gbajabiamila’s lawyers described them as “entirely false” and “gravely defamatory,” arguing that they were deliberately intended to tarnish the reputation of the President’s Chief of Staff.

According to the letter, the allegations were designed to portray Gbajabiamila as “corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, administratively incompetent, a murderer and unfit to occupy public office.”

The legal team further noted that Adeyemi is currently facing criminal prosecution before the Federal High Court in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026, FRN v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Ors, over allegations relating to the forgery of an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s purported signature and the alleged counterfeiting of presidential letter-headed documents to present himself as a government official.

Gbajabiamila’s lawyers also dismissed claims that the Chief of Staff demanded 48 per cent of a purported N27.4 billion take-off grant allegedly earmarked for the council—amounting to about N12.5 billion—or received N400 million through proxies connected to appointments within the organisation.

READ ALSO; NDC calls for investigation of Gbajabiamila over PFIPC controversy

The letter equally rejected allegations that Gbajabiamila manipulated budgetary processes, intimidated individuals and media organisations, attempted to misuse security agencies or discharged official responsibilities while under the influence of intoxicating substances.

According to the legal representatives, the Chief of Staff has never had any relationship or dealings with Adeyemi.

“You have never at any time met, interacted with, communicated with, or had any form of personal or official dealing whatsoever with him,” the lawyers stated, adding that publishing allegations against someone with whom there had been no interaction demonstrated “the reckless, baseless and malicious nature” of the claims.

The lawyers also questioned the timing of the allegations, noting that they surfaced only after criminal proceedings had already been initiated against Adeyemi.

“It is even more disturbing to our client that you resorted to defaming him through your press statements after a criminal charge had been filed against you,” the letter stated, adding that “trial by media remains unknown to Nigerian law and cannot be a substitute for due process.”

Gbajabiamila’s legal team demanded that Adeyemi immediately cease making further defamatory statements, remove all videos, recordings and transcripts relating to the allegations from every platform, publish a full retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and across all social media platforms used to disseminate the claims, and provide a written undertaking not to repeat the allegations.

The letter warned that failure to comply would trigger both criminal defamation proceedings under the laws applicable in the Federal Capital Territory and a civil action seeking N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages.

According to the lawyers, any damages awarded would be donated to a charity selected by z

The controversy centres on the PFIPC, which appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the title Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council with budgetary allocations exceeding N1.3 billion, including approximately N803 million for personnel, N200 million for overhead costs and N300 million for capital expenditure.

At his June 25 press conference, Adeyemi argued that an agency explicitly listed in a budget signed into law by the President could not be described as non-existent. However, the Presidency has maintained that the council is fraudulent and lacks any legal basis.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana has argued that the Presidency lacks the constitutional authority to exonerate any of the parties involved in the dispute. He has called for an independent investigation into the allegations against both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.

Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, as proceedings in the criminal case continue.