The Transformative Governance Forum (TGF) has opposed calls for the resignation of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, insisting that due process and constitutional safeguards must prevail over public pressure.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Strategic Communications Directorate, the Forum described demands for Gbajabiamila’s removal as “legally premature and constitutionally unsound,” argued that the ongoing case should be allowed to run its course before any conclusions are drawn.
The controversy centred on Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly posed as the Director-General of the non-existent PFIPC and is accused of forging a letter of appointment bearing the Chief of Staff’s name. According to TGF, the forged document was allegedly used to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account and 34 commercial bank accounts, engage foreign diplomats, secure recruitment waivers and obtain about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act for the fictitious agency.
The Forum noted that the case is currently before the Federal High Court on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
While acknowledging calls by political figures and groups, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), for an independent investigation and the Chief of Staff’s resignation, TGF said such demands should not replace judicial determination.
“A mature democracy must be able to hold two ideas at once: that a wrong occurred, and that responsibility must be established through the law rather than the volume of public sentiment,” the Forum stated.
According to TGF, available facts indicated that the Office of the Chief of Staff was itself a victim of the alleged forgery, noting that Gbajabiamila reportedly petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police over the matter in October 2025, months before it became public.
The Forum argued that removing a public official solely on the basis of allegations from an accused person would create a dangerous precedent and encourage politically motivated smear campaigns.
Rather than indicating complicity at the highest level, TGF maintained that the exposure of the alleged fraud demonstrated that Nigeria’s institutional checks were functioning.
It commended agencies such as the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for identifying irregularities and escalating them to the appropriate authorities.
The Forum also urged the Federal Government to strengthen digital verification systems across public institutions, citing models from the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Estonia, where digital authentication and real-time verification reduce the risk of forged government documents.
TGF further called for the creation of a central digital registry of federal agencies that would enable ministries, banks and other institutions to verify the legal status of government entities before opening accounts or processing budget allocations.
The group also urged the National Assembly to review its appropriation process, arguing that questions surrounding how a non-existent agency allegedly secured a budget allocation should not be ignored.
According to the Forum, both the executive’s Budget Office and the National Assembly’s appropriation committees share responsibility for ensuring that only legally established agencies receive public funds.
Describing the PFIPC controversy as a “stress test” of Nigeria’s institutions, TGF said the priority should be strengthening administrative safeguards rather than seeking scapegoats.
It urged Nigerians to allow the courts to establish the facts while calling on the executive, legislature and judiciary to play their respective constitutional roles in resolving the matter.
“The judiciary should establish the legal facts. The National Assembly should examine its own procedures. The executive should reinforce its verification systems. And the public should await the evidence before reaching a verdict,” the Forum stated.
