Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila issues Gbajabiamila disclaimer disowning the alleged appointment of Adeniyi Adeyemi to head a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, issued a strong public disclaimer on 11 June 2026, rejecting claims by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi that he had been appointed to head the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, stated that no such office exists within the current administration and urged foreign missions, development partners and the public to disregard any association with the presidency.
“It has come to the notice of the Federal Government of Nigeria and specifically the Office of the Chief of Staff to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR that a certain Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, under the auspices of an alleged organisation styled as the ‘Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council’ is portraying himself to the general public as having been appointed by my office,” Gbajabiamila said.
At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday 25 June 2026, Adeyemi pushed back against the disclaimer, pointing to what he described as contradictions in official records.
He claimed the council maintained accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, operated from federal secretariat office space, and had secured approval for over 300 staff from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Adeyemi called on President Tinubu to establish an independent investigative panel to examine all relevant government documents and clarify the council’s status.
A review of the 2026 Appropriation Act appears to list the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council under the presidency with a total budget allocation of N1.3 billion, including significant sums for personnel, overheads and capital projects.
This unfolding controversy highlights ongoing challenges around unauthorised use of presidential nomenclature and the need for clear communication regarding official appointments and structures within Nigeria’s federal government.
The matter has drawn attention to how public funds and institutional legitimacy are managed at the highest levels.
Both sides have presented positions that now appear at odds with available records, leaving many observers calling for transparency and swift resolution to prevent any erosion of public trust in government processes.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
