A Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linking him to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), urging the Federal Government to institute an independent investigation into the matter.
The group accused the Presidency of attempting to shield Gbajabiamila from public scrutiny instead of allowing a transparent probe into the allegations made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Convener, Olusola Badero, the group criticised the Presidency's handling of the controversy, arguing that public denials were insufficient in the face of the allegations.
The statement was released through the organisation's Home Director, Princess Balogun.
Adeyemi had alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency's purported N27.4 billion take-off grant and received N400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment, while claiming that an outstanding balance of N200 million remained unpaid.
Gbajabiamila has denied any connection with the agency, while the Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC is not a recognised government institution and that Adeyemi was never appointed to head such an organisation.
However, the Yoruba group questioned the Presidency's position, arguing that the alleged agency reportedly maintained official interactions with several government institutions.
According to the group, it was contradictory for the government to describe the agency as non-existent when it allegedly appeared in the 2026 budget and engaged with key federal institutions.
"It is shameful that government officials would come before Nigerians to deny the existence of the agency instead of addressing the serious allegations raised," the group said.
The organisation further questioned how the alleged agency was able to obtain office accommodation, engage with the National Assembly and other government agencies, and allegedly operate bank accounts, including accounts said to be domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, if it did not exist.
The group argued that these issues required a thorough and independent investigation rather than official denials.
It also urged the President to establish an investigative panel to determine the true circumstances surrounding the controversy.
According to the organisation, suspending the President's Chief of Staff pending the outcome of such an investigation would demonstrate the administration's commitment to transparency and accountability.
The group maintained that failure to investigate the allegations could deepen public suspicion that senior government officials were being protected from scrutiny.
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