The Presidency has mounted a strong defence of Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, dismissing allegations that he demanded ₦400 million in bribes to facilitate a federal appointment and instead portraying his accuser as the mastermind behind a sophisticated fraud involving forged presidential documents and a non-existent government agency.
In a detailed statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the State House maintained that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who accused Gbajabiamila of collecting ₦400 million and demanding an additional ₦200 million, was never appointed by President Bola Tinubu or any arm of government.
According to the Presidency, investigations by the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation established that Adeyemi allegedly forged official appointment documents and operated as Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency the government insists does not exist.
The rebuttal came barely a day after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on President Tinubu to suspend Gbajabiamila and order an independent probe into the bribery allegations and the controversial appearance of the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The Presidency disclosed that suspicions first arose after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission reportedly complained that another organisation was performing functions that overlapped with its statutory responsibilities while presenting itself as an official government institution.
Following the complaints, Gbajabiamila was said to have petitioned both the DSS and the police on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters and falsely claiming to act on behalf of his office.
The Chief of Staff was quoted as warning that the activities of the alleged fraudsters threatened the integrity of the Presidency and undermined public confidence in official government communications.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reportedly raised concerns after Adeyemi allegedly convened a meeting involving ambassadors and diplomats at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without official clearance, an action the ministry described as contrary to established diplomatic procedures.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi allegedly operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, held meetings with foreign representatives, and sought diplomatic documentation, including a note verbale, to facilitate visa applications to the United States for officials linked to the purported agency.
Government authorities further maintained that Gbajabiamila repeatedly denied any knowledge of Adeyemi or the PFIPC, insisting that the Office of the Chief of Staff neither makes federal appointments nor possesses the authority to establish or appoint officials into agencies that do not legally exist.
Police investigators reportedly arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, during which searches allegedly uncovered forged documents and other materials linked to the operation. Investigators also claimed to have traced 34 bank accounts connected to him, including several allegedly opened under the names of fictitious organisations.
The Presidency further stated that police findings concluded that the suspect engaged in forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence, actions which authorities said brought the Presidency into disrepute both locally and internationally. An eight-count charge was subsequently filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices, with proceedings expected to continue later this month.
Despite the ongoing court process, Adeyemi has continued to insist that Gbajabiamila facilitated his appointment and demanded bribes amounting to ₦600 million, including an alleged claim for 48 per cent of a proposed ₦27.4 billion take-off grant for the agency. He has challenged the Presidency to institute an independent forensic investigation into documents originating from the Chief of Staff’s office.
The Presidency, however, dismissed the allegations as the handiwork of a serial impostor, urging politicians and members of the public to refrain from lending credibility to claims already subjected to criminal investigation and judicial scrutiny.
“The case of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew is a clear case of a con artist who appears to have built a web of false claims to deceive unsuspecting government officials and the public,” Onanuga stated.