The Arewa Think Tank has called on President Bola Tinubu to avoid letting recent allegations against Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila affect his decisions about members of his administration. Speaking to journalists in Kaduna, the group's convener, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, described the controversy surrounding the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) as politically driven, urging Nigerians to rely only on verified information rather than speculation. Yakubu characterized the allegations as part of a recurring pattern in which "fifth columnists" manufacture accusations against Tinubu's close allies whenever they appear positioned for greater responsibility, drawing a comparison to earlier controversies involving Senator Abdulaziz Yari, which surfaced amid speculation over Yari's possible role in preparations for the 2027 elections. "We want to tell President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow unverified claims to deny him the services of capable people as we approach the next general elections," Yakubu said, urging the president to stay focused on governance rather than political distractions. The group welcomed the Presidency's official response to the scandal, referencing a statement from Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga clarifying that PFIPC holds no recognized government status and that Gbajabiamila has never authorized appointments or correspondence on its behalf. The Presidency also dismissed as false earlier reports suggesting Gbajabiamila faced removal, affirming that he remains in his post. Yakubu urged political actors to act responsibly and avoid undermining public confidence in state institutions. The Arewa Think Tank's intervention adds to a broader chorus of reactions to the affair. The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has separately cast Gbajabiamila as a whistleblower rather than a suspect, crediting him with alerting security agencies in October 2025 after officials at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission first flagged PFIPC's activities as conflicting with their own mandate. Opposition voices have taken a starkly different view: the Nigeria Democratic Congress has called for Gbajabiamila's suspension pending an independent probe, questioning how a supposedly nonexistent agency secured a budget line exceeding ₦1.3 billion, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and reportedly received approval for over 300 staff positions. The man at the center of the scandal, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew β€” who faces an eight-count criminal charge including forgery and impersonation, with trial set for July 27 β€” has alleged in turn that Gbajabiamila's office solicited payment in exchange for the appointment, a claim the Presidency has not addressed in detail and which remains unverified.