The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has found himself at the centre of a mounting controversy after a State House disclaimer distancing the presidency from the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) triggered a sharp backlash from civil society organisations.
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In the release issued on Thursday, Gbajabiamila declared the PFIPC unrecognised by the Federal Government and urged the public, diplomatic missions, and multilateral institutions to disregard any appointments purportedly linked to the council, including that of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
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But the denial has had the opposite of its intended effect, drawing fierce scrutiny rather than closing the matter.
The Accountability Response Group of Nigeria (ARGN) was among the first to push back, describing the disclaimer as “an affront to the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people.” In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Suyi Kukoyi, the group pointed to what it called a glaring contradiction at the heart of the presidency’s position — the PFIPC’s explicit appearance as a funded line item on pages 50 and 51 of the 2026 National Budget Appropriation Act.
“The Nigerian people are not fools. We demand the truth, and not political handwashing,” the group declared.
ARGN proceeded to raise a series of pointed questions, demanding to know how a council the presidency now claims does not exist successfully passed through the National Assembly without objection, received presidential assent, reportedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, and operated openly for nearly two years without any official intervention or disclaimer.
“For nearly two years, this Council operated openly, carrying out activities tied to government objectives. Where were the objections? Where were the investigations? Where was your disclaimer back then? Your silence until now is an admittance of complicity,” the group said.
The ARGN also described the situation as an affront to President Tinubu himself, questioning how an allegedly unauthorised body could have survived the full weight of executive and legislative scrutiny — including the President’s own signature on the appropriation bill.
“Is this government that porous and corrupt?” the group asked pointedly.
The organisation further called on Gbajabiamila to go beyond public denial and provide verifiable answers, insisting that matters of such institutional gravity demand full disclosure rather than carefully worded press releases.
“The Nigerian people deserve transparency, consistency, and accountability from public institutions,” ARGN stated. “Matters of this nature should not be resolved through public denials alone but through the full disclosure of verifiable facts.”
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