Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to probe his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over an alleged controversial N400 million linked to him by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.

But a group of public affairs advocates and civic leaders has differed, urging Nigerians to refrain from distracting Gbajabiamila with what they described as unsubstantiated allegations concerning the Presidential Fiscal and Investment Policy Commission (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

Atiku, in a statement issued on his behalf by his media office yesterday, reacted to allegations of bribery against Gbajabiamila by Adeyemi, who claimed to be the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

He claimed that the establishment of PFIPC had the endorsement of the Chief of Staff to the President, but Gbajabiamila had denied endorsing the establishment of PFIPC or appointing Adeyemi to head it in a statement issued about two weeks ago.

However, Adeyemi, over the weekend, insisted that the establishment of PFIPC was endorsed by the President’s Chief of Staff. He cited the fact that staff from the Federal Civil Service were seconded to the organisation.

Adeyemi also said there was a monetary provision for the PFIPC in the 2026 budget.
BUT reacting to the controversies, Atiku asked Tinubu to suspend the Chief of Staff to ensure an independent investigation into the bribery allegation.

He also faulted the claim by Gbajabiamila that the agency didn’t exist, saying: “How can you allocate N27.4 billion in the budget to a government agency that doesn’t exist without leaving more questions than answers?”

The ADC presidential candidate argued that the Chief of Staff’s claim only created more problems for the government.

According to him, allocating N27.4 billion to an agency that doesn’t exist puts question marks on the credibility of the entire 2026 national budget.

He added that the allegations should not be swept under the carpet.
HOWEVER, a group of public affairs advocates and civic leaders urged Nigerians to refrain from distracting Gbajabiamila.

A statement jointly signed by the United States-based public affairs commentator, Kofo Williams; chairman of Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora, United Kingdom, Abanikanda Olumoro; and others stressed that while accountability remained fundamental to democratic governance, public discourse must be guided by facts, evidence and due process rather than speculation or political grandstanding.

The group said recent allegations and public statements directed at Gbajabiamila over issues relating to PFIPC and PEAC underscored the need for caution and responsibility in public engagements.

According to the statement, although citizens and stakeholders have every right to raise questions about budgetary allocations and the operations of government institutions, such concerns should be based on verified information and a proper understanding of the budgetary process.

The civic leaders argued that unsubstantiated allegations, particularly those capable of distracting key government officials from their responsibilities, do little to advance transparency or national development.