Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The embattled self-acclaimed Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, has made a stunning revelation that the N400 million he allegedly paid to secure his appointment was borrowed money, and that his lenders have now petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover their funds. Adeyemi made the disclosure on Monday, 13 July 2026, during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today, weeks after he accused the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, of receiving the money through a proxy to facilitate his appointment.
According to Adeyemi, the funds were obtained through loans, leaving him under immense pressure from those who financed the payment. "I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this money from have reported to the EFCC. I borrowed this money to pay for this appointment. They have written to the EFCC, asking me to refund their money. So, I'm not even here to pay the money back. I borrowed this money," Adeyemi said. He described the government's handling of the controversy as "very, very unfortunate," insisting that he had been unfairly portrayed as someone who manipulated the entire system. "Imagine the government claiming I manoeuvre the whole system. It's unfortunate," he added.
The PFIPC controversy first erupted into public view after the Presidency, in a disclaimer issued on 11 June 2026 and signed by Gbajabiamila, declared that no such agency existed under President Bola Tinubu's administration and described Adeyemi as an impostor. In a subsequent statement on 1 July 2026, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that police investigations allegedly found that Adeyemi forged a presidential appointment letter purportedly signed by Gbajabiamila, operated a fictitious government agency, and maintained 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of non-existent government agencies. Concerns over the council first surfaced in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission raised the alarm over another government-styled body allegedly carrying out overlapping functions.
Despite the government's position, Adeyemi has consistently maintained that his appointment was genuine, insisting that he operated openly for nearly three years, during which he interacted with heads of ministries, departments and agencies, and hosted foreign delegations, including officials from the EFCC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had earlier accused Gbajabiamila of receiving N400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment, later demanding an additional N200 million and requesting 48 per cent of a purported N27.4 billion take-off grant for the council. Gbajabiamila's legal team has denied the allegations, describing them as false and threatening a N10 billion defamation lawsuit.
Responding to reports that a United States lobbying firm was assisting him in seeking asylum, Adeyemi dismissed the claims, saying he only became aware of them through media reports. "I read it the way you read it. Some people call me that they are looking for me," he said. He explained that he had little knowledge of the reports because he had largely withdrawn from social media following what he described as coordinated attacks on his online platforms. "I just ignore it because they sponsor a lot of people to bring my social media handle down. So, I don't really know much what is going on again. I just hear from family and friends," he said. Adeyemi also denied speculations that he intended to flee Nigeria, insisting that he remained in the country despite reports suggesting otherwise. "They pulled my social media handle down, and they still reported that I was about to run away out of Nigeria. I'm still in Nigeria. I'm not going anywhere," he stated.
The fresh revelation adds another layer to the unfolding scandal, raising questions about the source and use of the funds, the role of intermediaries, and the extent of institutional failure that allowed a fictitious agency to secure a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act. President Tinubu has since directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the PFIPC controversy, while Adeyemi has been charged with eight criminal counts at the Federal High Court since November 2025.
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