Wike Reacts to Gbajabiamila's Involvement in PFIPC Case, "It's Madness"

• Nyesom Wike has defended Femi Gbajabiamila, dismissing claims linking him to the alleged PFIPC controversy
• The FCT minister rejected Atiku Abubakar's position while questioning the credibility of the allegations under investigation
• Wike cited a personal experience involving his son to explain why he believes the accusations should be carefully scrutinised

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Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has come to the defence of Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, over Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) allegations.

According to him, he does not believe the chief of staff has any link to the controversy surrounding the alleged fake agency.

Wike spoke during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Thursday, July 9, where he dismissed claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi, the council's self-styled director-general.

His comments came after President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter.

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Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had also urged opposition parties to keep an eye on the probe, saying the federal government should not investigate itself.

Wike dismisses Atiku's position

Reacting to Atiku's call, Wike rejected the suggestion and expressed confidence in Gbajabiamila.

"The demand by Atiku is rubbish. Without any prejudice, I know the chief of staff very, very well."

Wike said senior officials close to the president often become targets because attacking them can damage the image of the entire government.

He also questioned the allegation itself, saying it made no sense for anyone to accuse the chief of staff of approving funds for an organisation the presidency says does not exist.

"Does it make sense? An agency that does not exist, that you will tell him to give him so and so amount of money. I mean, it's madness."

Wike recalls allegation against his son

To explain why he doubted the claims, Wike shared a personal experience from his time as FCT minister.

He said someone once accused one of his sons of collecting $2 million to help secure land in Abuja. Rather than ignore the allegation, Wike reported it to security agencies.

According to the minister, investigators later obtained British Airways records, which showed his son had travelled out of the country before the alleged transaction was said to have happened.

Wike said the evidence cleared his son and proved the accusation was false. He also said some people advised him to quietly settle the matter to avoid public embarrassment, but he refused because he would not give in to blackmail.

PFIPC case remains under investigation

The PFIPC controversy began after Adeniyi Adeyemi claimed to be the director-general of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The presidency has since said the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency.

Adeyemi is currently standing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges that include alleged forgery, impersonation, and other related offences linked to his claimed appointment as director-general of the council.

Adeyemi denies meeting Gbajabiamila over PFIPC

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to head the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, denied ever meeting Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila over the unfolding PFIPC controversy.

Speaking during an interview from hiding, Adeyemi said his only contact was through three phone conversations arranged by a late associate. He added that he could not confirm whether the person on the calls was actually Gbajabiamila.