Rt. Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has threatened legal action against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over allegations linking him to murder, bribery, abuse of office and other criminal conduct.
Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the allegations and warned that failure to comply within 72 hours would result in both civil and criminal defamation proceedings.
This was contained in a letter dated July 6, 2026, and signed by senior lawyer Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) on behalf of Pinheiro LP.
The dispute stems from a press conference held on June 25, during which Adeyemi, who is facing criminal charges over his alleged involvement with the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
He accused the Chief of Staff of demanding a share of the council’s alleged take-off grant, receiving funds through proxies, abusing his office and participating in a cover-up.
Adeyemi also publicly described Gbajabiamila as “a murderer” and “an assassin.”
According to the letter, Adeyemi is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026, where he faces allegations including forgery of an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s purported signature and the alleged counterfeiting of presidential letterheaded documents to present himself as a government official.
The legal team identified nine statements made during the press conference, including allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the council’s alleged ₦27.4 billion take-off grant, received ₦400 million through proxies connected to appointments, interfered with public institutions, manipulated security agencies and carried out official duties while allegedly under the influence of intoxicating substances.
The lawyers described the allegations as “not only false but gravely defamatory,” arguing that they were intended to portray their client as “corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, administratively incompetent, a murderer and unfit to occupy public office.”
The letter further stated that Gbajabiamila had never had any contact 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 wrote, adding that the allegations were “reckless, baseless and malicious.”
The legal team also argued that Adeyemi’s comments were made despite the criminal case already pending before the court.
“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.
The lawyers added that “Trial by media remains unknown to Nigerian law and cannot be a substitute for due process.”
Gbajabiamila demanded that Adeyemi immediately cease making further defamatory statements, remove all related materials—including videos, recordings and transcripts—from every platform, publish a full retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the allegations were circulated, and provide a written undertaking not to repeat the claims.
The letter warned that failure to comply within 72 hours would lead to criminal defamation proceedings under the laws of the Federal Capital Territory and a civil action seeking ₦10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, alongside a perpetual injunction and a court order compelling a public apology.
The controversy follows allegations surrounding the PFIPC, which appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the description “Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” and received more than ₦1.3 billion in budgetary allocations.
Adeyemi has argued that the agency could not be fictitious since it appeared in the appropriation law signed by the President. However, the Presidency maintains that the PFIPC does not exist and describes it as a fraudulent entity.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has also called for an independent investigation into the roles of both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi, arguing that the matter should be subjected to an impartial inquiry.
Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court on July 27, 2026.