By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the immediate removal of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linking him to an alleged corruption scandal involving a purported non-existent government agency and the alleged sale of public appointments.
Recall that one Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency the Presidency has reported accused the Chief of Staff of financial malfeasance and abuse of office.
He claimed that he secured the appointment through the Chief of Staff after allegedly paying N600 million, of which N400 million was reportedly paid through intermediaries, while an outstanding balance of N200 million allegedly remained unpaid.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director on Friday, the opposition party urged President Tinubu to suspend the Chief of Staff to allow for what it described as a full, transparent and impartial investigation into the allegations.
According to the party, the allegations raise serious concerns over accountability within the Federal Government, particularly claims that the purported agency allegedly received budgetary allocations in the 2026 budget and opened several accounts, including a Treasury Single Account (TSA), a domiciliary account and a Pounds Sterling account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The NDC questioned how an agency allegedly not recognised by the Presidency could have completed such financial processes, saying the development requires urgent public clarification.
The party also expressed concern over claims that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation allegedly approved 314 staff positions for the purported agency, describing the allegation as one that raises questions about administrative oversight within government.
The party also cited allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant, an allegation it said was rejected by Adeyemi and which allegedly triggered the dispute between both parties.
Describing the claims as serious, the NDC said they point to what it termed “institutionalised corruption” and alleged abuse of public office.
The opposition party also called for an investigation into the death of Babatunde Tanimola, described as an intermediary between Adeyemi and the Chief of Staff, who reportedly died in a hotel fire in Abuja in October 2025. It further urged security agencies to probe Adeyemi’s claims of multiple assassination attempts.
Among its demands, the NDC called on President Tinubu to constitute an independent investigative panel to examine all aspects of the allegations, including the operations of the alleged PFIPC, budgetary allocations, financial transactions, staff approvals and account openings.
It also urged the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigeria Police Force, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to investigate the allegations.
The party maintained that Nigerians deserve a transparent investigation into the claims and insisted that anyone found culpable, regardless of status, should face prosecution in accordance with the law.
