Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has escalated his legal battle with Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), by filing a ₦15 billion defamation suit before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The lawsuit follows a series of public allegations made by Adeyemi, who accused the presidential aide of corruption, abuse of office, bribery and other criminal conduct—claims Gbajabiamila insists are entirely false, malicious and intended to damage his reputation.
According to court filings, the Chief of Staff is seeking ₦10 billion as general damages and an additional ₦5 billion as aggravated damages over the alleged defamatory statements. He is also asking the court to compel Adeyemi to issue a full retraction of the allegations and publish an unreserved apology in five national newspapers. In addition, Gbajabiamila is demanding ₦200 million as the cost of the legal action.
The suit marks the latest development in the controversy surrounding the PFIPC, an organisation that the Presidency has repeatedly maintained is not a recognised government agency. Adeyemi, however, has continued to insist that the council is legitimate while making a series of allegations against senior government officials, including the President’s Chief of Staff.
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Gbajabiamila’s legal team argues that the accusations have subjected him to public ridicule, injured his hard-earned reputation and undermined public confidence in his office. The lawyers contend that the allegations lacked factual foundation and were circulated widely through traditional and social media platforms despite the absence of credible evidence.
The legal action comes days after Gbajabiamila issued a pre-action demand requiring Adeyemi to withdraw the allegations and apologise publicly within a stipulated period. With no satisfactory resolution reached, the matter has now proceeded to court.
The dispute also unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing criminal proceedings involving Adeyemi over allegations linked to the operations of the PFIPC, including claims of forgery and impersonation. Those allegations remain before the courts, while Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing.
The latest suit is expected to further intensify the legal confrontation between both parties as the courts determine whether the statements complained of amounted to defamation and whether the damages sought are justified.
