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• Says Presidency owes Nigerians explanation on scandal
• Urges EFCC, ICPC, police to investigate
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) on Friday called for the immediate removal of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linking him to a purported corruption scandal involving a non-existent government agency, the alleged sale of appointments and the diversion of public funds.
The party also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Police Force to launch what it described as a full-scale investigation into the allegations.
The demands were made in reaction to allegations made by Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to have served as Director-General of the PFIPC.
The NDC said suspending the Chief of Staff was necessary to allow for what it described as an independent and credible investigation into claims surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the Presidency has denied exists.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the NDC alleged that the scandal raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability within the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Among its demands, the NDC called on President Tinubu to immediately remove Gbajabiamila from office pending investigation and set up an independent panel to examine all allegations relating to the alleged PFIPC, its finances, staff approvals and associated transactions.
It further called for the questioning of relevant officials in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, while insisting that anyone found culpable should face prosecution.
According to the NDC, the allegations suggest that despite the Presidency’s denial of the agency’s existence, the PFIPC allegedly received budgetary allocations in the 2026 budget and operated a Treasury Single Account, a domiciliary account and a pounds sterling account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
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It said the claims raised questions about how a supposedly non-existent agency could open multiple financial accounts and allegedly secure official approvals.
“The Presidency owes Nigerians an urgent clarification on this matter,” the party said.
It also questioned claims that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service approved 314 staff positions for the agency, asking how such approvals could have been granted without the knowledge of the Presidency and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The party further cited allegations by Adeyemi that he secured his appointment after allegedly paying N600 million through intermediaries, with N400 million reportedly paid and an outstanding balance of N200 million.
While querying claims that the Chief of Staff allegedly demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant, valued at about N27.4 billion, a request Adeyemi reportedly rejected, the party said these were more than ordinary accusations and pointed to a pattern of institutional corruption and the alleged sale of public appointments.
It also expressed concern over the death of Babatunde Tanimola, described as an intermediary in the matter, who reportedly died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja in October 2025.
The NDC also referred to Adeyemi’s claims that he survived multiple assassination attempts.
