Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has instituted a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations that he demanded kickbacks linked to funds allegedly approved for the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the disputed PFIPC, recently alleged that the Chief of Staff demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a proposed ₦27.3 billion take-off grant and received ₦400 million through a proxy, while requesting an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.
In the action filed through his legal team from Pinheiro LP, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kemi Pinheiro, Gbajabiamila described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.
The suit seeks: ₦10 billion as general damages, ₦5 billion as aggravated damages, ₦200 million as litigation costs, an order compelling Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers; and, a directive requiring the apology to remain pinned on all social media platforms and online channels where the allegations were published for 30 days.
The court has directed Adeyemi to enter an appearance within 14 days after service of the originating processes or risk judgment being entered against him in default.
According to court documents, Gbajabiamila denied ever meeting, communicating with or authorising anyone to act on his behalf in dealings with Adeyemi.
His legal team maintained that the Chief of Staff neither demanded nor received any money connected with the alleged appointment and had no knowledge of any intermediary purportedly involved in the transaction. The court filings also rejected allegations linking Gbajabiamila to claims of abuse of office, interference with security agencies, media intimidation or attempts on Adeyemi’s life.
In a witness statement filed before the court, Gbajabiamila said the accusations had severely damaged his personal and professional reputation, built over decades of public service and legal practice.
He stated that he became aware of the allegations after Adeyemi’s press conference on June 25, 2026, where the claims were widely circulated across television stations, online platforms and social media. Gbajabiamila told the court that although public office holders should expect scrutiny, the accusations amounted to false allegations of corruption, bribery and abuse of office presented as established facts.
The Chief of Staff disclosed that his solicitors issued a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, which was published in several national newspapers the following day, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the allegations and an unconditional apology. Instead of retracting the claims, Gbajabiamila alleged that Adeyemi granted additional interviews, including one with social media influencer VeryDarkMan, where he repeated the accusations.
According to the claimant, Adeyemi admitted during the interview that he had never met Gbajabiamila physically, never held a video call with him and relied solely on communications allegedly conducted through the late Babatunde Tanimola. Gbajabiamila argued that those admissions contradicted Adeyemi’s earlier categorical allegations while demonstrating that the claims were made without independent verification.
The suit further stated that Adeyemi again repeated the allegations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on July 13, 2026, despite receiving the cease-and-desist notice.
Gbajabiamila contended that the repeated interviews sustained what he described as a deliberate campaign of false accusations, generating public discussions and enquiries that further harmed his reputation. He added that he deliberately avoided responding through the media because he believed the courts remained the proper avenue for resolving the dispute.
Court filings also noted that Adeyemi is currently facing criminal prosecution before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations involving forged presidential documents and appointment letters connected with the disputed PFIPC.
The Presidency has consistently maintained that the PFIPC does not legally exist, while investigations into the broader controversy continue. Gbajabiamila urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought, maintaining that the action was necessary not only to protect his personal reputation but also to preserve the integrity of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
