PPFIPC: Ayanga urges Gbajabiamila to step aside pending court trial

Michael Olumide

A 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 from office pending the determination of the ongoing court case surrounding the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Ayanga made the call during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, amid growing public debate over allegations linked to the purported government agency and the criminal charges filed against its self-acclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.

The controversy intensified after senior human rights lawyer Femi Falana argued that the Presidency lacked the constitutional authority to exonerate anyone involved in the matter and called for an independent investigation into both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.

The dispute came into public focus after Adeyemi alleged that the Chief of Staff demanded a ₦400 million kickback, an additional ₦200 million payment and a 48 per cent stake in a proposed ₦27.4 billion take-off grant in exchange for securing his position.

The Presidency, however, swiftly dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) is not a recognised agency of the Federal Government.

Presidential officials also stated that the Chief of Staff has no constitutional authority to issue letters of appointment, describing Adeyemi’s claims as entirely false.

Subsequent investigations by the Nigeria Police reportedly uncovered what authorities described as an elaborate fraud scheme allegedly orchestrated by Adeyemi from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

Investigators alleged that he forged appointment letters, official seals and government correspondence, including the signature of the Chief of Staff, while also presenting himself as the head of a non-existent government agency.

The police further alleged that the suspect maintained 34 bank accounts, several of which were linked to fictitious government entities, including an account reportedly opened at the Central Bank of Nigeria through forged official documentation.

Although Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing and described the prosecution as politically motivated, the Nigeria Police Force has filed an eight-count criminal charge against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with trial scheduled to commence on July 27, 2026.

Commenting on the development, Ayanga insisted that the Presidency’s public declaration clearing the Chief of Staff could not replace the constitutional role of the judiciary.

“Femi Gbajabiamila will have to at least step down until this whole mess is cleared. Because the mess is not cleared yet,” he said.

According to him, public confidence in the administration of justice would be better served if the Chief of Staff temporarily vacated office while the judicial process runs its course.

“The honourable thing was for Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila to step down. The fact that the Presidency said he is cleared… 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’s the total clearance. I expect him to step down,” Ayanga stated.

He was quick to clarify that his recommendation should not be interpreted as a demand for resignation.

“No, no. For him to step down pending him being cleared by the courts. I’m not saying he should resign,” he explained.
Ayanga maintained that criminal allegations must be resolved through judicial proceedings rather than executive pronouncements.

“This is a criminal allegation. It’s not civil. If it’s a criminal allegation that was made, then let the court clear the case,” he added.

The political analyst also questioned the speed with which the Presidency dismissed the allegations.

“Two things. First, they don’t have the power. Second is the hastiness in which they cleared the man. This allegation was made some days ago, and then within a week we have cleared the man. How? How did they clear him? They were so swift about it,” he said.

Beyond the legal issues, Ayanga argued that the controversy has exposed deep institutional weaknesses within Nigeria’s governance structure.

He questioned how an individual could allegedly establish and operate a fictitious government agency, obtain office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat, appear in budgetary processes and reportedly secure bank accounts linked to government institutions without raising immediate red flags.

“For someone to wake up one day, declare himself the DG of a fictitious agency and secure office space in the Federal Secretariat, how did that happen? How did he enter into the 2026 appropriation? How did false documents allegedly get accepted by the Central Bank? Who authorised the accounts?

Who paid money into them? There are too many questions begging for answers,” he said.

According to Ayanga, the episode demonstrates failures not only within the political leadership but also across the civil service and administrative machinery responsible for verifying official documentation and government procedures.

He said the controversy should become a catalyst for comprehensive reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and institutional safeguards.

“I don’t think this is wrong in itself because, at the end of the day, it should help foster better administration and better governance. We need institutional reforms that will create a seamless and more effective system for verifying information, documents and official statements. Maybe the man is an impostor, but it means there are things within the system that should never have happened,” he said.

Ayanga further observed that multiple layers of administrative checks appeared to have failed.

“There are some things that, at the very first table, should have been knocked out. But it left the first table, moved to the second, then the third, and eventually reached the highest level for approval.

The assumption at the top is always that lower levels have done proper vetting. Meanwhile, nobody actually did,” he stated.

The PFIPC controversy continues to generate nationwide debate over the integrity of public institutions, the effectiveness of internal oversight mechanisms and the need for stronger inter-agency coordination.

While law enforcement authorities maintain that the prosecution demonstrates a commitment to tackling high-level fraud through the judicial process, critics argue that the circumstances surrounding the alleged operation of a fictitious government agency have exposed significant weaknesses in Nigeria’s administrative and verification systems.

The case has also renewed calls for greater transparency regarding allegations of budgetary allocations linked to the disputed council and claims that accounts associated with the purported agency were opened within the nation’s financial system.

As the matter proceeds before the Federal High Court, many observers believe the outcome could shape future reforms aimed at strengthening document authentication, improving oversight across government institutions and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s governance processes.