The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) took a fresh turn on Thursday as Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the disputed organisation, insisted that his appointment was genuine and vowed to clear his name in court.
Adeyemi, who has been accused by the Presidency of impersonation, forgery and obtaining by false pretence, said he was ready to face trial and allow the court to determine the truth.
Speaking during an appearance on *Channels Television’s Politics Today*, Adeyemi dismissed claims that he was a fraudster and maintained that he had nothing to hide.
“Definitely, sir. If I’m wrong, let the court of law do that, and if I’m right, let the court of law do that; do the right thing,” he said when asked whether he was prepared to face prosecution.
The case has generated widespread public attention after the Presidency publicly disowned the organisation Adeyemi claimed to be leading and described it as a fictitious government agency.
For months before the controversy erupted, Adeyemi had attended public events, granted interviews and circulated photographs of himself with prominent Nigerians while presenting himself as the head of the council.
However, the Presidency has insisted that no such agency exists and accused him of creating forged documents to support his claims.
Despite the allegations, Adeyemi said he remained confident that the judicial process would vindicate him.
He urged Nigerians to allow the courts to determine the matter instead of relying on public opinion.
“Since the matter is in court, let the court of competent jurisdiction vindicate me because I’m ready to clear my name,” he said.
According to him, his legal team is already handling the matter and would present all necessary evidence during the trial.
“Let the court take its course. Since my lawyers are involved, everybody will follow us. They will monitor the whole thing. Then let the court of competent jurisdiction do what they need to,” he added.
Adeyemi declined to respond to questions regarding the funding of the council and the payment of salaries to its staff, saying the matter was already before the court.
“The truth will be unravelled at the court of law,” he said.
“I don’t want to talk much about it since the matter is in court. In fact, I’m restricted from talking since the matter is in the courts. So let’s just get to the courts.”
The controversy deepened after Adeyemi alleged that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was aware of his appointment and later attempted to frustrate the activities of the council.
He further claimed that the disagreement between him and the Chief of Staff began after he allegedly rejected a request relating to the agency’s take-off grant.
According to Adeyemi, Gbajabiamila allegedly demanded 48 per cent of the proposed take-off grant of N27.39 billion for the agency.
He also alleged that N400 million had already been collected through proxies, with an outstanding balance of N200 million expected to secure his appointment.
Adeyemi did not provide evidence to support the allegations during the television interview.
The Chief of Staff has consistently denied the allegations.
Adeyemi called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent investigative panel to examine the issues surrounding the controversy.
According to him, such an investigation would provide Nigerians with the true facts of the matter.
The Presidency, however, has strongly rejected Adeyemi’s claims.
In an earlier statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Adeyemi as an impostor who created fictitious government agencies to deceive public officials and members of the public.
“We are aware of the public interest in the matter of a man called Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who has been parading himself as the Director-General of a fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council,” Onanuga said.
He described the suspect as “a clear case of a con artist” who allegedly built “a web of false claims” to deceive government officials.
According to the Presidency, investigations by the Nigeria Police Force showed that Adeyemi used forged government documents to falsely present himself as the head of a federal agency.
The Presidency also alleged that he fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
However, it added that police investigations established that no government funds were transferred into the account.
Quoting findings from the police investigation conducted by Assistant Commissioner of Police Kabir Mogaji, the Presidency said Adeyemi’s actions amounted to criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
It added that the alleged acts brought the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency into disrepute.
According to Onanuga, the police subsequently filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two other suspects on November 27, 2025.
The case is scheduled to come up for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency also noted that Adeyemi was already on police bail when he recently claimed that the Chief of Staff personally appointed him as Director-General of the agency.
It argued that the claim contradicted statements he allegedly made during police investigations in November last year.
According to Onanuga, the fresh claims prompted Gbajabiamila to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, reaffirming that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Presidency.
One aspect of the controversy that has attracted public attention is the appearance of the disputed council in official budget documents.
A search of the Budget Office’s published 2026 Appropriation Bill under the summary of Ministries, Departments and Agencies lists an entity described as “Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” with budget code 0111062001.
The document allocates a total of N1.303 billion to the entity, including N802.98 million for personnel costs, N200 million for overhead expenses and N300 million for capital expenditure.
The appearance of the council in the federal budget has fuelled public debate, with analysts questioning how an organisation now described by the Presidency as fictitious was listed in official appropriation documents.
The issue has also prompted calls from public affairs analysts and civil society groups for a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
While the Presidency maintains that Adeyemi acted alone through forged documents and false representations, critics argue that several questions surrounding the budget allocation, office operations and institutional oversight still require answers.
With both sides standing firmly by their positions, the matter is now expected to be resolved through the courts.