Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has issued a direct challenge to Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), demanding that he either substantiate his allegations against President Bola Tinubu's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, or cease his public campaign of accusations. Speaking during his monthly media chat with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, 9 July 2026, Wike dismissed the allegations as a politically motivated attempt to embarrass the Tinubu administration by targeting one of its most influential figures.
Wike argued that the Chief of Staff to the President is often the primary target of those seeking to discredit a sitting government, given the strategic nature of the office. He insisted that Gbajabiamila is a man of integrity and that the claims made by Adeyemi were implausible and lacked any credible foundation. "There are people who target those in government just to give a bad name to their boss. If you want to embarrass any government, the first person you target is the Chief of Staff because people believe that once you get to him, the government will be embarrassed," Wike said.
Questioning the logic behind the allegations, the FCT minister argued that it was impossible for the Chief of Staff to have created a budget or authorised funds for an agency that did not exist. "Does it make sense that an agency that does not exist he will ask somebody to give it such an amount of money? It is madness. The Chief of Staff cannot create a budget. It is simply not possible," Wike declared. He also questioned why Adeyemi had reportedly gone into hiding after making the allegations, insisting that anyone with genuine evidence should present it to security agencies rather than evade scrutiny. "If it was indeed correct, eyeball to eyeball, go to the security. He cannot say this," Wike said, adding that the Chief of Staff's telephone records and communications with Adeyemi could be examined by investigators.
Drawing from his personal experience, Wike recounted how he had previously been the victim of what he described as fabricated allegations designed to tarnish his reputation. He recalled an incident in which an individual falsely claimed that his son had facilitated a payment linked to government land transactions. Wike said his Chief Security Officer immediately moved to have the accuser arrested after the allegation surfaced, and investigators later discovered that the timeline presented by the claimant did not correspond with his son's travel records. He further disclosed that some individuals had advised him to quietly settle the matter to avoid negative publicity, but he rejected the suggestion outright. "Why not settle? Settle what? This is blackmail. I would not allow that. I wouldn't do it," he said.
Wike also dismissed claims that Adeyemi had gone into hiding because of fears for his safety. "Which life? Is your life bigger than the lives of other people in the country?" he asked. He insisted that allegations of such magnitude should be thoroughly investigated and resolved through lawful processes rather than being used to justify calls for the removal of public officials without credible evidence.
The controversy erupted after Adeyemi claimed to have headed the non-existent PFIPC and alleged that Gbajabiamila was involved in its activities. The Presidency has since rejected the claims, maintaining that no such agency exists. President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit its findings within 30 days. Reacting to calls by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and opposition parties for an independent probe, Wike said there was no basis to suggest that the government could not conduct a credible investigation. "The demand by Atiku is not new. What did he do when he was the Vice President? But let me tell you something. I know the Chief of Staff very, very well. Without prejudice, I know him very well," he said.
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