The Aso Rock Presidential Villa is facing another political storm.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration is currently managing the fallout from a massive cash-for-appointment scandal directly implicating the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The allegations have sparked intense public interest and forced the presidency onto the defensive, highlighting a messy battle over a disputed government agency.
The controversy stems from claims made by Adeniyi Adeyemi, who identifies himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
According to Adeyemi, Gbajabiamila allegedly:
- Received N400 million through a proxy to secure Adeyemi’s appointment.
- Demanded an additional N200 million to finalize the deal.
- Requested a 48% cut of the PFIPC’s N27.4 billion take-off grant—a demand Adeyemi claims he rejected.
In a swift move to contain the public fallout, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga released a statement pushing back hard against the claims. The government’s defense rests on declaring the entire setup a fraud.
According to the presidency:
1. The PFIPC is a completely fake, non-existent agency.
2. Gbajabiamila actually blew the whistle on Adeyemi back in October 2023, petitioning the Police and the DSS after discovering someone was forging his signature, seal, and portfolio number to issue fake employment letters.
3. Adeyemi allegedly used this fake agency to fraudulently open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account, host foreign ambassadors, and even try to get visa clearance notes from the U.S. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
