Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has given Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew 72 hours to retract what he describes as false and malicious allegations made during a widely circulated press conference on June 25, 2026.
In a formal cease and desist letter dated July 6, 2026, Gbajabiamila’s solicitors at Pinheiro LP accused Adeyemi of launching “reckless, baseless and malicious” attacks aimed at tarnishing the Chief of Staff’s reputation.
The letter, signed by ‘Kemi Pinheiro OFR, SAN, emphasised that Gbajabiamila “has never at any time met, interacted with, communicated with, or had any form of personal or official dealing whatsoever” with Adeyemi.
The legal team detailed several serious claims made by Adeyemi in his press statement, including allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 percent of the take-off grant for the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, received ₦400 million by proxy, abused his office to intimidate others, participated in fraudulent budgetary processes, and engaged in conduct suggestive of corruption, criminality, and even murder.
“These allegations are not only false but are gravely defamatory,” the letter stated. “They plainly convey to ordinary, reasonable members of society that our client is corrupt, dishonest, criminally culpable, morally bankrupt, unfit for public office, violent, dangerous and undeserving of public trust.”
The solicitors argued that the publication, which spread rapidly across traditional and social media, had caused significant reputational damage to Gbajabiamila, a seasoned public servant and former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“Your defamatory statements… have enjoyed wide readership, no doubt carries with it the imputation of extreme dishonesty, corruption and fraud,” the letter added.
Gbajabiamila’s team demanded that within 72 hours, Adeyemi must cease making or publishing any further defamatory statements, remove all related materials including videos and transcripts from every platform, and issue a full, unequivocal retraction and apology published with equal prominence in at least five national newspapers and on the same platforms where the original claims appeared.
They also required a written undertaking to refrain from future defamatory publications.
The letter warned that failure to comply would prompt immediate legal action, including a criminal complaint for defamation and a civil suit seeking ₦10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages — to be paid to charities chosen by Gbajabiamila — along with a perpetual injunction and a court order compelling a public apology and retraction.
The demand comes as the controversy surrounding Adeyemi and the alleged ghost agency continues to unfold, with the Presidency maintaining that the entity does not exist and that Adeyemi faces criminal charges bordering on forgery and impersonation at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
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