Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress has called for the immediate removal of Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over his alleged involvement in the scandal surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a purportedly fictitious agency that secured a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 national budget.
In a statement issued on Friday, July 3, 2026, the party accused Gbajabiamila of attempting to shield himself from investigation by framing Adeniyi Adeyemi, who has been parading himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is currently facing prosecution for forgery and impersonation. The NDC argued that the controversy raises fundamental questions about the integrity of the nation's budgetary process and the oversight role of the Chief of Staff.
The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, told journalists in Abuja that the party had lost confidence in Gbajabiamila's ability to continue as Chief of Staff. He described the PFIPC scandal as one of the most elaborate frauds ever to penetrate Nigeria's government machinery, and questioned how a "phantom agency" could receive parliamentary approval and a budget line without the knowledge or approval of the President's closest advisers.
"Gbajabiamila must be held accountable," Osa Director said. "He is the one who raised the alarm, but he is also the one who is trying to turn a whistleblower into a criminal. Nigerians are not fools. An agency that was allocated ₦1.3 billion in the national budget did not appear out of thin air. Somebody in the Villa knew about it, and that somebody must answer questions".
The party demanded that President Bola Tinubu relieve Gbajabiamila of his duties pending the conclusion of a thorough, independent investigation into the PFIPC scandal. It also called for the suspension of all officials implicated in the budget approval process for the phantom agency.
The NDC's demand comes amid growing public outrage over the PFIPC scandal, which has exposed significant vulnerabilities in Nigeria's budget process and raised serious questions about oversight mechanisms within the Presidency and the National Assembly. The controversy has drawn reactions from across the political spectrum, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar issuing President Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to order a transparent investigation into the scandal.
The Presidency has dismissed the PFIPC as a "fictitious" agency with no legal existence, and described Adeyemi as an impostor facing criminal prosecution for forgery and impersonation. However, documents obtained by SaharaReporters show that the PFIPC received a specific allocation of N1,302,978,784 in the 2026 Appropriation Act, which was signed into law by President Tinubu himself. Both chambers of the National Assembly also formally recognised the council through official correspondence, with the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes issuing correspondence on its official letterhead acknowledging the agency's existence.
Adeyemi, who has been arrested and charged with an eight-count criminal charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja, maintains that he is the legitimate Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC. He has alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency's N27.4 billion take-off grant and received N400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment, with an outstanding balance of N200 million still unpaid.
Gbajabiamila has denied the allegations and petitioned the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, to investigate what he described as an "elaborate forgery and impersonation scheme." The police arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at his office inside the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, recovering forged documents, seals, and correspondence used to project legitimacy for the council.
The NDC has warned that if the government fails to act within 48 hours, it will mobilise nationwide protests to demand Gbajabiamila's removal and a full investigation into the PFIPC scandal. The party said the protests would be peaceful but firm, and would continue until justice is served.
"Nobody is above the law," Osa Director said. "If a sitting Chief of Staff can preside over the creation of a phantom agency that steals ₦1.3 billion from Nigerian taxpayers, what hope is there for the common man? We will not stay silent".
As the clock ticks toward the NDC's self-imposed deadline, the pressure on President Tinubu to act decisively continues to mount. The PFIPC scandal has already exposed the fragility of Nigeria's institutional safeguards, and the nation is watching to see whether the government will investigate its own or sweep the matter under the rug.
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