By Hussein Olanrewaju
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has given Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to head the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), 72 hours to withdraw allegations accusing him of corruption, abuse of office, fraud and murder or face a N10 billion defamation suit and criminal proceedings.
The ultimatum was contained in a cease-and-desist letter issued through Mr Gbajabiamila’s solicitors, who described allegations made by Mr Adeyemi during a 25 June press conference as false, malicious and entirely without factual basis.
According to the legal team, the allegations portrayed the Chief of Staff as corrupt, dishonest and unfit for public office, while accusing him of demanding 48 per cent of the take-off grant meant for the PFIPC, receiving N400 million through proxies, manipulating government processes, abusing his office and engaging in other criminal conduct.
The lawyers rejected the claims, insisting they were unsupported by evidence and noting that Mr Gbajabiamila had never met or maintained any personal or official relationship with Mr Adeyemi.
The legal action comes amid an ongoing criminal case against Mr Adeyemi, who has consistently claimed to head the PFIPC, an organisation the Presidency has repeatedly described as non-existent.
Court documents show that the Federal Government has filed an eight-count charge against Mr Adeyemi and two others over alleged conspiracy, forgery and impersonation, including the alleged forgery of presidential appointment documents and other official records. Mr Gbajabiamila is listed among the prosecution’s witnesses.
Despite the charges, Mr Adeyemi has denied any wrongdoing, insisting he was lawfully appointed and maintaining that the Presidency is attempting to silence him. He has also called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent panel to investigate both his allegations against the Chief of Staff and the controversy surrounding the disputed agency.
Mr Gbajabiamila’s lawyers demanded that Mr Adeyemi immediately cease making further defamatory statements, remove all related publications from platforms under his control, issue an unequivocal public apology and publish it in at least five national newspapers and across all platforms where the allegations appeared.
They warned that failure to comply within 72 hours would trigger criminal and civil proceedings, including a N10 billion defamation suit. According to the legal team, any damages awarded will be donated to charity.
