Presidency Clears Gbajabiamila, Exposes Alleged Fake Agency in ₦1.3bn Budget Scandal

The Presidency has dismissed claims by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew that he was appointed to head a presidential agency, insisting he never received any government appointment and describing him as an impostor who allegedly forged official documents to operate a non-existent federal organisation.

The controversy has attracted widespread public attention following claims that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an alleged ₦1.303 billion budget allocation.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said investigations by security agencies established that no such agency exists and that Adeyemi was never appointed by President Bola Tinubu or any authorised government office. He cleared Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any role in Adeyemi's alleged appointment.

Onanuga said the matter first came to the attention of the Office of the Chief of Staff after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) complained that another organisation claiming to be a federal agency was operating at cross-purposes with the commission.

He disclosed that on October 17, 2025 the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.

Quoting the petition, the Presidency said the Chief of Staff had raised concerns over "the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office."

According to the statement, investigators alleged that forged appointment letters bearing fake signatures, official seals and reference numbers were used to present Adeyemi as Director-General of a non-existent agency that allegedly operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.

The Presidency further alleged that the group organised meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian government officials and sought a diplomatic note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals presented as members of the purported agency.

Onanuga said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs independently questioned the legitimacy of the organisation after Adeyemi allegedly convened a meeting with ambassadors in Abuja without the ministry's knowledge or approval.

He added that correspondence exchanged among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff consistently established that the agency did not exist.

"The Chief of Staff could not have issued a letter of appointment to a non-existent agency. Moreover, the Chief of Staff does not make appointments or write letters, as these are the exclusive preserve of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation," Onanuga stated.

According to the Presidency, police investigators arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025 at the Abuja office from where he allegedly operated the organisation.

Searches conducted at the office and his residence in Suleja, Niger State, reportedly yielded forged appointment letters and other documents considered relevant to the investigation.

The Presidency also alleged that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts, including nine opened in the names of what it described as fictitious government agencies.

It further claimed that Adeyemi opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after allegedly misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. However, the Presidency stated that investigators confirmed no government funds were paid into the account.

Quoting the police investigation report, Onanuga said the suspect's actions allegedly amounted to criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, adding that they brought "the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community."

The Presidency disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other defendants before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.

The statement also alleged that Adeyemi had previously claimed to be President-General of the World Youth Organisation in 2016, an organisation which, according to the Presidency, was later disowned by the United Nations.

Adeyemi Rejects Allegations

Adeyemi, however, rejected the Presidency's position, arguing that the central issue is how the council allegedly appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

He maintained that the agency was listed on pages 50 and 51 of the budget with a proposed ₦1.303 billion allocation, questioning how a non-existent organisation could have been included in a document approved through the federal budgeting process.

"Let's assume for one second that all what the Chief of Staff published were right, that the agency does not exist. Then how did the agency's name get into the 2026 appropriation budget pages 50 and 51?" he asked.

He argued that if the agency did not exist but appeared in the national budget, it would raise serious questions about the integrity of the appropriation process.

Adeyemi also alleged that the disagreement between him and the Office of the Chief of Staff arose after he rejected an alleged request for a percentage of the agency's proposed take-off grant. He further questioned issues surrounding the approval of staff, office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat and banking arrangements linked to the organisation.

The Presidency did not address those specific allegations in its statement.

Matter Before the Court

The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi's claims or use the matter to attack the Office of the Chief of Staff, noting that the case is already before the court.

It advised interested parties to allow the judicial process to determine the issues in dispute rather than speculate on matters that are now the subject of ongoing legal proceedings.

The Federal High Court is expected to hear the case later this month.