Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, has initiated a N15 billion defamation lawsuit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. The legal action follows accusations from Adeyemi, the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, claiming that Gbajabiamila requested a 48 percent kickback from a N27.3 billion agency grant.
Adeyemi previously alleged that Gbajabiamila obtained N400 million through an intermediary and sought an additional N200 million for presidential approvals. Gbajabiamila, represented by Kemi Pinheiro of Pinheiro LP, has categorically denied these claims, asserting that he has never met or communicated with the defendant. The Chief of Staff characterized the allegations as malicious and harmful to his professional standing.
The lawsuit seeks N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, and N200 million in legal costs. Additionally, Gbajabiamila is requesting that the court compel Adeyemi to issue a public retraction and apology across five national newspapers and maintain this apology on all digital platforms for 30 days. The court has directed Adeyemi to enter an appearance within 14 days of service.
Court documents reveal that Adeyemi is currently facing separate criminal charges for alleged forgery of presidential documents. Gbajabiamila noted that despite a formal cease-and-desist notice issued in early July 2026, the defendant continued to repeat his claims in media interviews. In those subsequent interviews, Adeyemi reportedly admitted that he had never verified the Chief of Staff’s identity directly and relied entirely on a now-deceased intermediary, Babatunde Tanimola.
Gbajabiamila maintained that he has consistently acted with integrity throughout his career and that these accusations were designed to smear his reputation. He emphasized that he chose to pursue legal resolution in court rather than engaging in public media disputes to protect the dignity of his office.
