The embattled Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has revealed that the N400 million he allegedly paid to obtain his appointment letter was borrowed, adding that those who lent him the money have now petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a refund.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Adeyemi said the financial burden has worsened his situation, noting that his creditors are demanding repayment through the anti-graft agency.
“I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this money from have reported to the EFCC. I borrowed this money to pay for this appointment. They have written to the EFCC, asking me to refund their money. So, I’m not even here to pay the money back. I borrowed this money,” he said.
Adeyemi had earlier alleged that the N400 million was paid through a proxy to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate his appointment.
He described the government’s response to the controversy as “very, very unfortunate,” accusing unnamed officials of portraying him as someone who manipulated the system.
“Imagine the government claiming I manoeuvre the whole system. It’s unfortunate,” he said.
Reacting to reports that a United States lobbying firm was assisting him in seeking asylum, Adeyemi dismissed the claims, saying he only became aware of them through media reports.
“I read it the way you read it. Some people call me that they are looking for me,” he said.
He added that he has limited knowledge of developments surrounding the case because his social media accounts were allegedly taken down.
“I just ignore it because they sponsor a lot of people to bring my social media handle down. So, I don’t really know much what is going on again. I just hear from family and friends,” he said.
Adeyemi also denied rumours that he intended to flee Nigeria, insisting he remains in the country.
“They pulled my social media handle down, and they still reported that I was about to run away out of Nigeria. I’m still in Nigeria. I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
The PFIPC controversy came to light after the Presidency, in a statement issued on June 11 and signed by Gbajabiamila, declared that no such agency exists under the Tinubu administration and described Adeyemi as an impostor.
In a subsequent statement released on July 1, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said police investigations revealed that Adeyemi allegedly forged a presidential appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s signature, operated a fictitious government agency, and maintained 34 bank accounts, including nine reportedly opened in the names of non-existent government institutions.
