A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has fastened November 9, 10 and 13 for the graduation of trial in the N15 billion defamation suit filed by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, in opposition to Adeniyi Adeyemi, Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The dates had been fastened on Thursday by Justice Samira Bature after legal professionals disagreed over Adeyemi’s request for extra time to file his defence.
At the resumed listening to, Kemi Pinheiro and Olukayode Enitan, counsel to Gbajabiamila, opposed an utility by M.P. Usman, lawyer to Adeyemi, for an extension of time to file his defence.
Usman advised the court docket that he filed a memorandum of look on Wednesday, October 14, and wanted extra time to reply to the suit.
Pinheiro argued that Adeyemi was served with the court docket papers on July 30, 2026, and that the time allowed for submitting a defence had expired in September.
He stated the case shouldn’t be delayed additional as a result of the integrity of a public officer was concerned. Gbajabiamila’s legal professionals additionally requested the court docket to repair three dates to allow their consumer to open and shut his case.
Justice Bature subsequently fastened November 9, 10 and 13 for particular trial.
Both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi had been absent from court docket. Pinheiro and Enitan appeared for the claimant, alongside Jamiu Agoro and Chioma Olisakwe, whereas 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 accredited for the PFIPC, an company the Presidency has disowned.
Adeyemi made the allegations at a press convention on June 25, 2026, based on an earlier report by TheCable. He additionally alleged that Gbajabiamila collected N400 million by means of a proxy in reference to the company.
On July 7, Gbajabiamila, by means of his legal professionals, issued a cease-and-desist letter asking Adeyemi to withdraw the allegations, pull down associated movies and publications, and publish a retraction and apology in not less than 5 nationwide dailies and on social media platforms the place the claims had been circulated.
He subsequently filed the N15 billion suit, in search of N10 billion in normal damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages and N200 million as the price of the suit.
He can also be asking the court docket to order Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and unconditional apology in 5 nationwide newspapers and put up the apology on the affected social media and on-line platforms for 30 consecutive days.
In his assertion of declare, Gbajabiamila stated he had by no means met or spoken with Adeyemi and had by no means authorised anybody to demand or acquire cash on his behalf.
He additionally denied demanding any proportion of the alleged grant or receiving cash, instantly or not directly, from Adeyemi.
