By Sunday Ameh
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has commenced moves to institute a N10 billion defamation suit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over allegations linking him to bribery, murder and other criminal conduct.
The legal threat was conveyed in a letter dated July 6, 2026, signed by Gbajabiamila’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), in response to allegations made by Adeyemi during a press briefing on June 25.
Adeyemi, who has been linked to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), had alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a share of the council’s proposed take-off funds, received money through intermediaries and participated in a cover-up. He also accused the presidential aide of being a murderer and an assassin.
However, Gbajabiamila’s legal team dismissed the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory, insisting they were deliberately fabricated to damage the Chief of Staff’s reputation.
The lawyers maintained that Gbajabiamila had never met, spoken with or maintained any official or personal relationship with Adeyemi, describing the claims as entirely baseless.
According to the letter, Adeyemi is currently facing criminal prosecution before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations bordering on forgery, including allegedly falsifying an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s signature and using counterfeit presidential documents to present himself as a government official.
The legal team further argued that it was inappropriate for Adeyemi to make public pronouncements on issues already before a competent court, warning against attempts to influence ongoing judicial proceedings through media campaigns.
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers demanded the immediate removal of all publications, videos, recordings and transcripts containing the allegations.
They also asked Adeyemi to publish an unreserved apology and retraction in at least five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the claims were circulated, while undertaking not to repeat similar allegations in the future.
The Chief of Staff gave Adeyemi 72 hours to comply with the demands, warning that failure to do so would result in both civil and criminal legal proceedings, including a N10 billion claim for aggravated and exemplary damages, a perpetual injunction and a court-ordered apology.
The dispute stems from the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which received an allocation of over N1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. While Adeyemi has argued that the budgetary allocation validates the agency’s existence, the Presidency has maintained that the council was never legally established.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called for an independent investigation into the controversy, urging authorities to probe both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.
Adeyemi is expected to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, to face charges arising from the alleged forgery and impersonation case.
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