A legal practitioner, Liborous Oshoma, has called on Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, to temporarily vacate his position immediately amid the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) controversy. Oshoma urged the former House of Representatives speaker to allow a thorough forensic audit of his office in connection with the scandal.
Call for Step Aside and Forensic Audit
In a video interview with News Central TV on Tuesday, July 8, 2026, Oshoma argued that a step-aside arrangement would be the most credible path to restoring public confidence. He said: "With all due respect to the chief of staff. I do not think, I think that defamation suit is jumpy. It is hasty. It is preemptive. There are allegations. The man said, I spoke with this man through the phone. The man said, I spoke to him through a friend's phone. And the friend is late. I think there should be, the president has said, investigate the matter. I also agree with your guest in the studio that the chief of staff and some persons in his office and other places should step aside, let there be a forensic, not just an honorary, forensic detail audit investigation, including retrieving of phones of these persons so that you can conduct a forensic analysis of all of these phones."
The PFIPC Scandal Details
The PFIPC controversy centers on allegations that Gbajabiamila was connected to a fictitious government body known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. A N10 billion lawsuit has been filed in relation to the matter. The convener of the PFIPC had earlier made bribery allegations against Gbajabiamila but later retracted them, adding a fresh dimension to the complex political controversy. The police have launched a manhunt for Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who presented himself as the PFIPC director general, on suspicion of forgery, impersonation, and related offences. Before going into hiding, Adeyemi told local media he was innocent and feared for his life, promising to clear his name in court.
Questions on Investigation and Budget Line Item
Oshoma highlighted inconsistencies in the case, noting that the PFIPC had a line item in the national budget despite being declared non-existent. He said: "The agency found its way into your national budget that was signed. The agency, the budget was prepared between September and December. That budget, the man was arrested and charged in November 27th, and the budget was presented December 9th. That is after the man has been charged. That line item was still in the budget. The budget was accepted to in August 17th, the item was still in the budget. So now, you say the agency is non-existent, but the non-existent agencies had a line item in the budget." He questioned what was investigated before the man was charged and called for forensic analysis of telephones to establish the facts.
Gbajabiamila's Legal Threat
Earlier, Gbajabiamila gave Adeyemi 72 hours to withdraw what he described as false and defamatory allegations or face civil and criminal legal action. Through his solicitors, Pinheiro LP, he demanded a public apology, removal of defamatory publications, and a written undertaking against further allegations. The presidency has denied allegations of bribery and stands by Gbajabiamila.
