The Presidency has denied allegations that the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, demanded or received money in exchange for government appointments, insisting that the office of the Chief of Staff neither issues appointment letters nor makes appointments.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in response to allegations made by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who has been parading himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Adeyemi had alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million before confirming his appointment. However, the Presidency dismissed the claims as false, describing Adeyemi as an impostor operating a fictitious government agency.
According to Onanuga, the controversy began after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns that another body, claiming to be the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, was carrying out activities that conflicted with those of legitimate government institutions.
He explained that on October 17, the Office of 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 the office.
The Presidency said the forged documents bore fake signatures, seals and reference numbers and were being used to claim leadership appointments to a non-existent agency.
According to the statement, Adeyemi and his associates allegedly operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where they presented themselves as officials of a federal agency, held meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian stakeholders, and even sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain United States visas for their staff.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also questioned the legitimacy of the agency after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without involving the ministry.
Following inquiries from the ministry and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Chief of Staff repeatedly denied any knowledge of Adeyemi or the purported council.
The Presidency stressed that the Chief of Staff could not have appointed Adeyemi because the agency in question does not exist. It further emphasized that appointments and official appointment letters are issued only through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Police investigations later led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27 at the office from where he allegedly operated the scheme. Searches conducted at his office and residence reportedly uncovered forged documents and other exhibits.
According to the police investigation cited by the Presidency, Adeyemi admitted during interrogation that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the fake appointment letter. Investigators later established that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The investigation also concluded that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was a fictitious agency and that Adeyemi forged appointment documents, falsely presented himself as a presidential appointee and sought diplomatic privileges under false pretences.
The Presidency further alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to other fictitious agencies such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and related entities.
It also claimed that he fraudulently opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria after allegedly misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. However, investigators reportedly confirmed that no government funds were paid into the account.
Police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. His trial is scheduled to continue on July 27.
The Presidency noted that Adeyemi was already on police bail when he renewed claims that the Chief of Staff had appointed him, describing the allegation as inconsistent with the statement he earlier made to investigators.
Onanuga also recalled that Adeyemi had previously claimed in 2016 to be an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, an organisation he said was affiliated with the United Nations, before the UN reportedly denied the existence of such a body.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s allegations against the Chief of Staff, maintaining that the matter is before the court and should be allowed to run its legal course.
