A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has fixed November 9, 10 and 13 for the commencement of trial in the N15 billion defamation suit filed by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, against Adeniyi Adeyemi, Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The dates were fixed on Thursday by Justice Samira Bature after lawyers disagreed over Adeyemi’s request for more time to file his defence.
At the resumed hearing, Kemi Pinheiro and Olukayode Enitan, counsel to Gbajabiamila, opposed an application by M.P. Usman, lawyer to Adeyemi, for an extension of time to file his defence.
Usman told the court that he filed a memorandum of appearance on Wednesday, October 14, and needed more time to respond to the suit.
Pinheiro argued that Adeyemi was served with the court papers on July 30, 2026, and that the time allowed for filing a defence had expired in September.
He said the case should not be delayed further because the integrity of a public officer was involved. Gbajabiamila’s lawyers also asked the court to fix three dates to enable their client to open and close his case.
Justice Bature subsequently fixed November 9, 10 and 13 for definite trial.
Both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi were absent from court. Pinheiro and Enitan appeared for the claimant, alongside Jamiu Agoro and Chioma Olisakwe, while Usman represented the defendant.
Gbajabiamila filed the suit over allegations by Adeyemi that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a N27.3 billion take-off grant reportedly approved for the PFIPC, an agency the Presidency has disowned.
Adeyemi made the allegations at a press conference on June 25, 2026, according to an earlier report by TheCable. He also alleged that Gbajabiamila collected N400 million through a proxy in connection with the agency.
On July 7, Gbajabiamila, through his lawyers, issued a cease-and-desist letter asking Adeyemi to withdraw the allegations, pull down related videos and publications, and publish a retraction and apology in at least five national dailies and on social media platforms where the claims were circulated.
He subsequently filed the N15 billion suit, seeking N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages and N200 million as the cost of the suit.
He is also asking the court to order Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and unconditional apology in five national newspapers and post the apology on the affected social media and online platforms for 30 consecutive days.
In his statement of claim, Gbajabiamila said he had never met or spoken with Adeyemi and had never authorised anyone to demand or collect money on his behalf.
He also denied demanding any percentage of the alleged grant or receiving money, directly or indirectly, from Adeyemi.
Court fixes November dates for trial in Gbajabiamila’s N15bn defamation suit