NDC demands Gbajabiamila’s sack over PFIPC scandal

THE Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the immediate removal of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linking him to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting his continued stay in office could compromise any investigation into the matter.

The opposition party made the demand in a statement dated July 3, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, amid growing controversy over the purported government agency, which the Presidency insists does not exist.

“The NDC is alarmed by the damning allegations of corruption involving the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and one Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC),” the party said.

NDC’s reaction come weeks after the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced on June 11 that the PFIPC was not an agency created by the Tinubu administration.

Adeyemi had rejected the Presidency’s position, maintaining that the organisation was legitimately established in 2024. He called on Tinubu to constitute an independent investigative panel to unravel the controversy.

He further alleged that the dispute began after he refused demands to surrender 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant, claimed that he paid N400 million to secure his appointment and still owed an outstanding balance of N200 million – allegations the Presidency has denied.

Responding to the claims on Wednesday, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Adeyemi’s submissions, describing him as a “con artist” who had already been investigated by security agencies.

Onanuga said Adeyemi and two other defendants were arraigned before the Federal High Court on November 27, 2025, on an eight-count charge, with the matter fixed for hearing on July 27.

While reaffirming that Gbajabiamila had no involvement in the alleged scheme, the Presidency did not address Adeyemi’s bribery and other allegations against the Chief of Staff.

Speaking afterward, Adeyemi insisted the government’s response was merely a “defence mechanism” aimed at discrediting him.

He went further to claim his life was under threat, noting that he had gone into hiding. He alleged attempts to silence him.

“They are now after my life. I have gone into hiding. I’m underground. I don’t consider myself safe,” Adeyemi said.

Meanwhile the Presidency insists he is an alleged fraudster facing criminal prosecution, accused of forging government appointment letters and falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

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In its reaction to the scandal, the NDC alleged that the purported council was used to siphon public funds with the alleged involvement of senior government officials, describing the controversy as one that raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability and governance under Tinubu’s administration.

“The non-existent agency was allegedly used to siphon public funds, with the active collusion and facilitation by the Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila,” adding that the development “raises fundamental questions about the level of transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the Tinubu administration.”

It questioned how a purportedly non-existent agency could have met the documentation requirements needed to open accounts at the Central Bank and called on the Presidency to explain whether government institutions processed forged documents.

“The NDC finds it deeply troubling that an agency the Presidency claims does not exist could open multiple high-level financial accounts at the apex bank. For an individual to open a domiciliary account, stringent documentation is required. How then was a fictitious agency able to open such accounts without the necessary documentation.

“Did the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation knowingly process forged documents? The Presidency owes Nigerians an urgent clarification on this matter,” the NDC said.

The opposition party also raised concerns over claims that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved 314 staff positions for the alleged agency, asking how such approvals could have been granted without the knowledge of the Presidency or the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

It further cited Adeyemi’s allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant, referenced Adeyemi’s claim that he paid N400 million toward securing his appointment through intermediaries and still owed an outstanding N200 million, describing the allegations as grave and a disturbing pattern of institutionalised corruption and alleged sale of public appointments.

The NDC further expressed concern over the death of Babatunde Tanimola, described as an intermediary between Adeyemi and the Chief of Staff, who reportedly died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja in October 2025, as well as Adeyemi’s recent claims that his life was under threat following alleged assassination attempts.

Among its demands, the party called on Tinubu to immediately remove Gbajabiamila from office to allow an independent investigation.

It also urged the President to establish an independent investigative panel to examine all claims relating to the PFIPC, including alleged budgetary allocations, bank accounts, staff recruitment approvals and financial transactions.

The NDC further called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the allegations, while urging authorities to provide witness protection for Adeyemi.

Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.