The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has issued a legal ultimatum to Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), demanding the immediate withdrawal of allegations linking him to murder, bribery and other criminal acts.
Through his legal team, Gbajabiamila directed Adeyemi to remove all videos, transcripts, recordings and related materials from every platform where the claims were published, warning that failure to comply would result in a ₦10 billion defamation lawsuit.
The demand was contained in a letter dated July 6, 2026, signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, on behalf of Pinheiro LP, the law firm representing the Chief of Staff.
Explosive Accusations Spark Legal Response
The legal notice followed a press conference held by Adeyemi on June 25, during which he made a series of explosive allegations against Gbajabiamila while defending himself against ongoing criminal charges tied to the PFIPC—an organisation the Presidency has consistently maintained does not exist as a legitimate government agency.
During the briefing, Adeyemi accused the Chief of Staff of demanding nearly half of the council’s alleged ₦27.4 billion take-off funding, claiming Gbajabiamila sought 48 per cent of the allocation, estimated at about ₦12.5 billion.
He further alleged that the presidential aide received ₦400 million through proxies in connection with appointments linked to the council.
Adeyemi also accused Gbajabiamila of abusing his office, participating in a cover-up and, in one of his most serious claims, described him as both “a murderer” and “an assassin.”
Gbajabiamila Denies Allegations, Threatens ₦10bn Lawsuit
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers, however, dismissed every allegation as false, malicious and entirely without foundation.
According to the legal team, the statements were deliberately crafted to damage the reputation of the Chief of Staff by portraying him as corrupt, dishonest, criminally liable, morally bankrupt and unworthy of holding public office.
The lawyers maintained that Gbajabiamila has never had any personal or official relationship 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 letter added that it was astonishing that Adeyemi allegedly fabricated allegations against someone with whom he had no relationship, arguing that the publications were reckless, baseless and malicious.
Lawyers Condemn ‘Trial by Media’
Gbajabiamila’s legal team also expressed concern that the accusations were made after criminal proceedings had already commenced against Adeyemi, arguing that he was attempting to litigate his case through the media instead of the courtroom.
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According to the lawyers, the allegations raised during the June 25 press conference touch directly on issues already before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Adeyemi is standing trial.
Adeyemi is one of the defendants in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026, filed by the Federal Government. The charges include allegations of forgery, particularly the alleged fabrication of an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s signature and the unlawful use of official Presidential letterhead to present himself as a government appointee.
The legal team insisted that public campaigns cannot replace due judicial process.
“Trial by media remains unknown to Nigerian law and cannot be a substitute for due process.”
72-Hour Deadline to Retract and Apologise
Gbajabiamila is demanding that Adeyemi immediately cease making further defamatory statements, delete all publications relating to the allegations from every platform, issue a full retraction and public apology in at least five national newspapers, and publish the same apology across all social media channels used to circulate the claims.
In addition, Adeyemi has been asked to provide a written undertaking that he will refrain from making any further defamatory publications concerning the Chief of Staff.
The letter gave him 72 hours from the date of receipt to comply with the demands, warning that failure to do so would trigger legal proceedings seeking ₦10 billion in damages for defamation.