The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has intensified, with Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi accusing the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of demanding money in connection with his purported appointment, while the Presidency insists the agency does not exist and describes Adeyemi as an impostor facing criminal prosecution.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, Adeyemi accused Gbajabiamila of making contradictory statements about the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), and called for an independent investigation into both bodies.
He alleged that the Chief of Staff received ₦400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional ₦200 million to facilitate his appointment.
According to Adeyemi, the disagreement arose after he rejected an alleged request by the Chief of Staff for 48 per cent of the proposed take-off grant of ₦27.4 billion for the agency.
He also questioned the Presidency’s insistence that the PFIPC does not exist, arguing that references to both the PFIPC and PEAC appeared on pages 50 and 51 of the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Adeyemi called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent panel to investigate the allegations, examine official records and budgetary provisions, probe what he described as assassination attempts against him, question public officials connected to the matter, publish its findings and require the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Presidency, however, dismissed the allegations and maintained that no such agency exists.
In a disclaimer issued on June 11 and signed by Gbajabiamila, the Presidency informed the public, diplomatic missions, financial institutions and multilateral organisations that the PFIPC was not an agency under the Tinubu administration.
The notice stated that Adeyemi had been falsely presenting himself as an appointee of the Office of the Chief of Staff under the banner of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
“The unsuspecting public is hereby advised to note that such an office does not exist under this administration and no appointment has been made in that regard,” the statement said.
However, a review of the Budget Office’s published 2026 Appropriation Bill under the “Summary by MDAs” lists an entity identified as “Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” with code 0111062001 and a total allocation of ₦1.303 billion, comprising ₦802.98 million for personnel, ₦200 million for overhead and ₦300 million for capital expenditure.
Reaffirming the government’s position on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described both the PFIPC and the PEAC as fictitious organisations.
According to Onanuga, concerns over the alleged agency first surfaced in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission reported that another organisation appeared to be operating in a manner that conflicted with its statutory functions.
He said the Chief of Staff subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force over alleged forged appointment letters and the activities of individuals impersonating government officials.
The Presidency said police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest in Abuja on October 27, 2025, following searches of his office and residence.
According to the government, investigators concluded that the PFIPC was fictitious and alleged that Adeyemi forged appointment documents, falsely presented himself as a government appointee and sought official diplomatic support for visa applications under false pretences.
The Presidency further stated that police recovered several documents during the investigation and alleged that Adeyemi operated multiple bank accounts linked to entities it described as fictitious.
It added that an eight-count charge was subsequently filed against Adeyemi and two other defendants at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.
According to Onanuga, the case is pending before the court, with Adeyemi scheduled to appear on July 27, and the public should allow the judicial process to run its course.
Quoting findings from the police investigation, the Presidency alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to fraudulently open a Central Bank of Nigeria account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although investigators found that no government funds had been paid into the account.
The police alleged that his actions amounted to forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, bringing the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency into disrepute.
Onanuga also alleged that Adeyemi had a history of fraudulent misrepresentation, recalling that in 2016 he claimed to be an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he presented as a United Nations affiliate before the UN reportedly denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency urged Nigerians and political actors not to accept Adeyemi’s allegations at face value, insisting that the matter is before the court and should be determined through the judicial process.
