The Chief of Staff to the President, Olufemi Gbajabiamila, has threatened to sue the embattled Director-General of the controversial Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeyemi Adeniyi.
The president’s man gave Adeyemi a 72-hour ultimatum to retract allegations linking him to the activities of the alleged fictitious agency or face civil and criminal proceedings.
Gbajabiamila, through his lawyers, Pinheiro LP, also demanded a full public apology, the immediate removal of all allegedly defamatory materials from media and social media platforms, and a written commitment that no similar allegations would be made against him in future.
The lawyer stated that the proposed civil suit would seek N10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, which Gbajabiamila intends to donate to charity if awarded.
The requests are contained in a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, signed by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), on behalf of the law firm.
In the letter, the Chief of Staff’s legal team responded to a June 25, 2026, press conference addressed by Adeniyi, during which he allegedly accused Gbajabiamila of corruption, abuse of office, bribery, extortion, fraudulent budget manipulation, interference with security agencies, involvement in murder, and other criminal acts.
Pinheiro claimed that Adeniyi also alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the take-off grant for an organisation identified as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, received N400 million through proxies for appointments into the body, and used his office to intimidate individuals and media organisations.
The senior lawyer described the allegations as “false, malicious, reckless and entirely without factual foundation,” asserting they were deliberately made to portray the Chief of Staff as corrupt, dishonest, and unfit for public office.
Pinheiro further maintained that Gbajabiamila had never met or communicated with Adeniyi in any personal or official capacity, maintaining that the lack of any relationship highlighted the reckless nature of the claims.
He further insisted that the publication exceeded the bounds of fair comment and political criticism by making serious criminal allegations without any supporting evidence.
The letter also linked the press conference to an ongoing criminal case against Adeniyi before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Pinheiro claimed that Adeniyi is standing trial in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/652/2026, FRN v. Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew & Ors, over allegations of forgery, including the alleged forgery of an appointment letter and presidential letterheads purportedly showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had appointed him.
The lawyer argued that some of the allegations raised during the press conference relate to issues already before the court, describing the media briefing as an attempt to conduct a “trial by media.”
He stated that the publications had caused serious reputational damage to Gbajabiamila, exposing him to public ridicule and prompting inquiries from political associates, friends, and members of the public regarding the allegations.
Pinheiro, therefore, demanded that Adeniyi immediately stop making or publishing any further defamatory statements, remove all videos, transcripts, and related materials from every platform under his control, and issue a full retraction and apology.
The apology, he stated, must be published with equal prominence in at least five national newspapers, on all platforms where the allegations appeared, and across all relevant social media accounts.
The lawyer warned that failure to comply within 72 hours would lead to both civil and criminal proceedings without further notice.
The action will also seek a perpetual injunction restraining Adeniyi from further defamatory publications, and a mandatory order requiring the publication of a retraction and apology.
(Ripples)
