By Sandra Ugwu

Chief of Staff to the President, Olufemi Gbajabiamila, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi to retract what he described as false and defamatory allegations or face both civil and criminal legal proceedings.

In a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, Gbajabiamila's solicitors, Pinheiro LP, demanded an immediate withdrawal of the allegations, a public apology, the removal of all related publications from media and social media platforms, and a written undertaking that no further defamatory statements would be made against their client.

According to the law firm, the action follows a press conference held on June 25, 2026, by Prince Matthew, which was widely circulated across print, electronic, and social media platforms. The solicitors described the statements made during the briefing as false, malicious, reckless, and lacking any factual basis.

The letter identified several allegations made against the Chief of Staff, including claims that he demanded a 48 per cent share of an alleged take-off grant for an organisation known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, received ₦400 million through proxies in connection with appointments, manipulated security agencies, participated in fraudulent budget processes, abused his office, engaged in corruption, and was involved in murder and a criminal cover-up. Pinheiro LP dismissed the allegations as entirely false and defamatory.

The solicitors further maintained that Gbajabiamila had never met or communicated with Prince Matthew in any personal or official capacity, arguing that the absence of any relationship underscored the reckless nature of the allegations. They added that the publication went beyond legitimate criticism and instead amounted to unsubstantiated accusations of criminal conduct that had seriously damaged the Chief of Staff's reputation both within and outside Nigeria.

Pinheiro LP also criticised Adeyemi for making the allegations publicly rather than presenting them before the appropriate investigative or judicial authorities. The law firm noted that Adeyemi is currently facing criminal prosecution before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of forgery, including the alleged forgery of an appointment letter and presidential letterhead purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu. It argued that some of the matters raised in the press conference are already before the court and should not be litigated in the media.

Among its demands, the law firm instructed Adeyemi to immediately cease making further defamatory statements, remove all related publications from every platform under his control, publish a full retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and across all platforms where the allegations appeared, and provide a written undertaking against future publications.

The solicitors warned that failure to comply within 72 hours would result in legal action, including a criminal complaint for alleged defamation under the applicable laws of the Federal Capital Territory. They also disclosed that Gbajabiamila would institute a civil suit seeking ₦10 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, which, according to the letter, would be donated to charities of his choice. The proposed suit would further seek a perpetual injunction restraining any future defamatory publications and a mandatory order compelling the publication of a retraction and apology.