Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the director-general of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), over what he described as false and damaging allegations against him.
Gatekeepers News reports that the suit, filed before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), seeks ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, and ₦200 million as the cost of the legal action. Gbajabiamila is also asking the court to compel Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national newspapers.
The legal action follows a series of allegations made by Adeyemi, who accused the President’s Chief of Staff of corruption and other forms of misconduct in connection with the PFIPC. Gbajabiamila has denied the claims, insisting they are baseless, defamatory and intended to tarnish his reputation.
Earlier this month, the Chief of Staff, through his lawyers, issued Adeyemi a 72-hour ultimatum to withdraw the allegations, remove all related publications from every platform under his control and issue an unreserved apology. The legal team warned that failure to comply would result in both civil and criminal proceedings.
The lawsuit is the latest development in the PFIPC controversy. The Presidency has repeatedly maintained that the council is not a recognised government agency, while Adeyemi is facing separate criminal charges over allegations including forgery, impersonation and the unlawful operation of the organisation.
