Political analyst and Chairman of the Ijebu North East Forum, Bayo Ayanga, has called on the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to temporarily step aside over allegations linked to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that only the courts – not the presidency – can determine his innocence.
Ayanga made the call during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, while reacting to the presidency’s decision to dismiss allegations against the Chief of Staff.
According to him, although the presidency has publicly cleared Gbajabiamila of wrongdoing, criminal allegations can only be resolved through due judicial process.
“Femi Gbajabiamila will have to, at least, step down until this whole mess is cleared because the mess is not cleared yet,” Ayanga said.
He argued that the honourable course of action would be for the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the conclusion of the court proceedings.
“The Presidency said he has been cleared, but he is not cleared yet. Until we see the end of this case and the court says this man is guilty or not guilty, that is the total clearance. I expect him to step down,” he added.
Ayanga, however, clarified that he was not calling for Gbajabiamila’s resignation but only a temporary withdrawal from office while the matter is before the courts.
“I’m not saying he should resign. I’m saying he should step down pending his being cleared by the courts,” he stated.
The controversy stems from an ongoing legal dispute involving Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, a self-acclaimed Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Adeyemi had alleged that the Chief of Staff demanded a ₦400 million kickback, an additional ₦200 million payment and a 48 per cent share of a proposed ₦27.4 billion take-off grant in exchange for securing his appointment.
The Presidency, however, dismissed the allegations on July 1, 2026, maintaining that the PFIPC does not exist within the Federal Government’s structure.
Presidential officials also stated that the Chief of Staff has no constitutional authority to issue letters of appointment, describing Adeyemi’s claims as false.
Investigations by security agencies reportedly uncovered what authorities described as an elaborate fraud scheme allegedly operated by Adeyemi from an office inside the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
According to police findings, the suspect allegedly forged appointment letters, official documents, government stamps and Gbajabiamila’s signature, while also hosting foreign diplomats under the guise of representing a federal agency.
Investigators further alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to fictitious government agencies.
Among the allegations is that a fraudulent account was opened with the Central Bank of Nigeria using forged correspondence purportedly sent to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Adeyemi has since gone into hiding while maintaining that the prosecution is politically motivated.
The Nigeria Police Force has filed an eight-count criminal charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja, with the trial scheduled to commence on July 27, 2026.
The controversy has also attracted the attention of human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, who argued that the Presidency lacked the constitutional authority to exonerate anyone facing criminal allegations.
Falana called for an independent investigation into both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.
He also questioned reports that about ₦24 billion was budgeted for the purported agency and sought explanations over claims that the fictitious body operated accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The government will have to explain to Nigerians how a whopping sum of N24bn was budgeted for an unknown agency, as well as how that agency had accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria,” Falana said.
Echoing similar concerns, Ayanga criticised what he described as the speed with which the Presidency dismissed the allegations against the Chief of Staff.
“This allegation was made some days ago and within a week they said they had cleared him. How? How did they clear him? They were so swift about it,” he said.
Beyond the allegations against the individuals involved, Ayanga argued that the controversy had exposed significant institutional weaknesses within Nigeria’s public administration.
He questioned how a person could allegedly establish a fictitious government agency, obtain office space inside the Federal Secretariat, appear in the federal appropriation process and allegedly secure banking arrangements without detection.
“There are too many questions begging for answers,” he said.
According to the analyst, the case underscores the need for comprehensive institutional reforms, stronger verification procedures and improved administrative oversight across government agencies.
He maintained that regardless of the outcome of the court proceedings, the controversy should prompt the Federal Government to strengthen internal controls, improve document authentication systems and tighten inter-agency verification processes to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The case continues to generate nationwide debate over public trust in government institutions, while questions surrounding the alleged operations of the purported council, its reported budgetary allocations and banking arrangements are expected to feature prominently as the legal proceedings progress.
