ABUJA — The corridors of Ayyuba Villa are currently engulfed in a storm of controversy as allegations of high-level financial misconduct have begun to draw chilling comparisons between the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the tenure of former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele.

​As public scrutiny intensifies, critics are questioning the integrity of the administration’s financial oversight, fueled by reports of "fake agency" schemes and massive, questionable fund allocations.  

​The ₦54 Billion "Ghost" Allocation

​At the heart of the latest firestorm is the alleged orchestration of a ₦54 billion disbursement from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). Emerging reports suggest that the Chief of Staff’s office allegedly bypassed established legislative norms, leveraging a disputed "order" purportedly issued by President Tinubu to secure the funds under the guise of an "upgrading of crude oil and gas metering and transparency systems."

​Industry insiders and legal experts have raised alarms, noting that no such mandate exists within the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Critics are describing this as a "systemic bypass" of due process, drawing immediate, unfavorable comparisons to the extralegal financial maneuvers that defined the Emefiele era.

​The "Fake Agency" Shadow: The PFIPC Saga

​The NUPRC allegations are unfolding against the backdrop of the "Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council" (PFIPC) scandal. While the Presidency maintains that the PFIPC is a fictitious entity, the organization’s "Director-General," Adeniyi Adeyemi, continues to assert that the agency was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act and has accused the Chief of Staff of demanding a 48% kickback on its take-off grant.  

​"The inclusion of this 'ghost agency' in the 2026 budget is a smoking gun that suggests rot at the very heart of the budgetary process," says one political analyst.

​The Presidency, through Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga, has firmly rejected the claims, labeling Adeyemi an "alleged fraudster" who is currently facing criminal charges for forgery and impersonation. Mr. Gbajabiamila has since filed a ₦10 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi, demanding a total retraction of what his legal team calls "baseless, malicious, and entirely fabricated" claims.  

​Mounting Pressure for Accountability

​Despite the legal threats from the Chief of Staff, the opposition—led by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)—is ramping up pressure, calling for Mr. Gbajabiamila to step aside to allow for an independent investigation. The party argues that his continued presence in office compromises the credibility of any probe into the alleged siphoning of public funds.  

​Key Points of Contention:

  • ​Institutional Integrity: Questions remain on how a "non-existent" agency (PFIPC) allegedly processed documentation to secure budget allocations and Central Bank access.  
  • ​Presidential Authority: The defense that the ₦54 billion NUPRC release was based on a "lawful order" is being challenged by constitutional lawyers who argue that presidential discretion does not override statutory appropriation laws.
  • ​The "Emefiele" Parallel: The public narrative is increasingly focused on whether the administration is repeating the pattern of opaque, centralized financial control that characterized the previous fiscal regime.

​Presidency’s Official Stance

​The Presidency maintains that these allegations are part of a coordinated smear campaign designed to distract from the administration's policy reforms. President Tinubu has mandated the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the PFIPC scandal, with a report expected within 30 days.  

​Disclaimer: The allegations reported herein are currently under police investigation and judicial review. Mr. Gbajabiamila and other implicated officials remain innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Infinite Pulse News will continue to track these developments as they unfold.