Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria — A man at the centre of one of Nigeria's most audacious government fraud scandals has broken his silence, insisting that the agency he claims to head is real and that his appointment was genuine, even as the Presidency maintains that the entire operation was an elaborate forgery and impersonation scheme.
Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who has been parading himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), is currently facing an eight-count criminal charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence. The Federal Government has described the PFIPC as a "fictitious" agency with no legal existence.
In a defiant interview on Channels Television's Politics Today on Thursday, July 2, 2026, Adeyemi challenged the government's narrative, asking how he could have operated openly for nearly two years if the agency was fraudulent. "I want Nigerians to know that, for one second, let us assume the agency does not exist, would I have the temerity, the audacity, to be going all over the country, meeting the heads of ministries, departments and agencies, if I know that the agency does not exist, or as they allege that I cooked up everything?" he asked.
He continued: "No Nigerian can dare do that. I could not have summoned the courage to be going from one place to another for almost three years. Nigeria is not a banana republic."
Adeyemi insisted that he was lawfully appointed and that the dispute stemmed from his refusal to comply with demands allegedly made by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. He claimed that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency's take-off grant of N27.4 billion and received N400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment, with an outstanding balance of N200 million still unpaid. Gbajabiamila has denied the allegations and petitioned security agencies to investigate what he described as an elaborate forgery and impersonation scheme.
When asked whether he was prepared to face prosecution, Adeyemi said, "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 rejected allegations that he is a con artist, insisting that the matter should be resolved through the courts. "Since the matter is in the court, let the court of competent jurisdiction vindicate me because I'm ready to clear my name," he said.
However, he declined to provide his alleged appointment letter or any document to support his claim, citing ongoing court proceedings. "I have a letter of appointment. However, since the matter is in the court, I won't be able to say much about it. I am on medication. I am a bit down, I am sick," he added.
Speaking with Premium Times from an undisclosed location, Adeyemi claimed he had gone into hiding because his life was under threat. "They are now after my life. I have gone into hiding. I'm underground," he said, declining to disclose his whereabouts.
The Presidency has mounted a robust defence of Gbajabiamila, releasing a detailed account of investigations it claimed exposed Adeyemi as the operator of a fictitious presidential agency months before he accused the presidential aide of corruption. According to the State House, records from multiple government agencies showed that Adeyemi was never appointed by President Tinubu or any government authority.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the police arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, and recovered forged documents during searches of his office and residence. "Based on their investigations, the Police filed an eight-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two of his accomplices on November 27, 2025," Onanuga said. The case is scheduled to come up before the court on July 27, 2026.
Onanuga also disclosed that Adeyemi told the police that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the fake appointment letter. "Following his claim, the Police went after the said Tanimola. The Police found that Tanimola died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, five days before Adeyemi's arrest," Onanuga said.
The controversy has been further fuelled by reports that the PFIPC was allocated ₦1.302 billion in the 2026 national budget. A review of the 2026 Appropriation Act by TheCable indicates that the "Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council" is expressly listed under the presidency, with a total budget of N1,302,978,784.
The discovery has sparked outrage and demands for answers from opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who questioned how a body described as non-existent could appear in budget documents. The case has also drawn the attention of human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who is set to defend Adeyemi in court.
For now, Adeyemi remains defiant, insisting that he is not a criminal and that the court will ultimately vindicate him. But with the Federal Government determined to prosecute what it describes as one of the most elaborate forgery schemes in recent history, the legal battle is only just beginning.
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