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Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, acclaimed DG of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council

A video of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the man at the centre of the alleged ₦1.3bn “ghost agency” scandal, has resurfaced online on Monday as the controversy surrounding the purported government agency continues to intensify.

The video, recorded during a press conference held in late June 2026, showed Adeyemi defending his claim to the leadership of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council while challenging the position of the Presidency and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, led by Femi Gbajabiamila.

,During the briefing, Adeyemi questioned how an agency described by the Presidency as non-existent could appear in official budget documents.

He said “the national budget does not emerge in isolation. It passes through multiple layers of technical drafting, executive coordination, ministerial inputs, Budget Office review, and finally legislative scrutiny by both chambers of the National Assembly.”

He argued that the inclusion of the agency in official budget documents raised questions about the integrity of the budget process.

“The question becomes unavoidable: At what point in this process did references to a non-existent agency allegedly enter the official record? And if they are indeed present in official documentation, what does that imply about the integrity of the process that produced and approved those documents?” he asked.

Adeyemi further claimed that the agency maintained several accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The same acclaimed non-existent agency has a domiciliary account, a pounds sterling account and a Treasury Single Account, all domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria. Is it even possible to open an account with fictitious documents in a commercial bank in Nigeria today, let alone the Central Bank of Nigeria?” he said.

He also alleged that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s proposed ₦27.4bn take-off grant and referenced an alleged demand for ₦12.5bn.

The Presidency has, however, consistently denied the allegations.

The Office of the Chief of Staff has maintained that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has no legal backing and was never established by the Federal Government.

According to the Presidency, Adeyemi forged official documents, including appointment letters bearing the names and signatures of senior government officials, to portray himself as the Director-General of the purported council.

Authorities also alleged that he operated from an office inside Phase III of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where he hosted meetings with government officials, diplomats, foreign investors and members of the public while presenting himself as a senior government official.

The controversy deepened after it emerged that an entity listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council received more than ₦1.3bn in budgetary allocations, sparking widespread public scrutiny over how a body the Presidency now describes as fictitious appeared in the federal budget.

The reported allocation comprised about ₦803m for personnel, ₦200m for overhead and ₦300m for capital expenditure.

Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation, false personation and operating a fictitious government agency before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Presidency has maintained that the matter is before the court and urged the public to disregard his claims, while Adeyemi insists he is not an impostor and says the court will determine the dispute. (PUNCH)

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions, declaring that the provision of modern infrastructure for the judiciary and legal profession is essential to deepening the rule of law and sustaining democracy.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the commissioning of the Office Annex for the Body of Benchers in Abuja’s Institution and Research District, the President described the project as more than an architectural accomplishment, saying it symbolised the Federal Government’s resolve to build resilient institutions capable of advancing justice and national development.

“It is with profound honour and a great sense of national purpose that I stand before you today to officially commission this state-of-the-art Office Annex for the Body of Benchers,” Tinubu said.

“Today’s ceremony is not merely a celebration of a beautiful edifice crafted with architectural excellence. It is a resounding affirmation of our administration’s steadfast commitment to the rule of law, the independence of our institutions, and the dignity of the Nigerian legal profession.”

The President said his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognises that democracy can only flourish where institutions are strong, independent and adequately equipped to discharge their constitutional responsibilities.

“When we took the oath of office, we promised Nigerians a Renewed Hope. We made it clear that democracy cannot thrive in a vacuum; it requires strong, resilient and well-equipped institutions to anchor it.”

He described the Body of Benchers, which oversees admission into the legal profession and enforces professional discipline, as one of the country’s most important legal institutions deserving of infrastructure that reflects its national significance.

“The Body of Benchers stands at the very apex of this institutional framework. It is only fitting that an institution of such monumental national significance is housed in an edifice that reflects its prestige, responsibility and dignity,” he said.

Tinubu stressed that providing infrastructure for the judiciary does not amount to executive interference but rather fulfils the constitutional responsibility of government to support institutions responsible for interpreting and safeguarding the law.

He disclosed that, beyond the newly commissioned annex, the Federal Capital Territory Administration had approved the construction of two 300-capacity hostels for the Nigerian Law School in Bwari to improve students’ welfare, completed the access road linking the Body of Benchers Secretariat to Nile University, and commenced work on a new fire service station to serve the district.

The President reserved special commendation for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike, saying the minister had fulfilled the mandate to transform Abuja into a modern and functional capital city.

“When I appointed Wike, I gave him a clear mandate to transform Abuja into a modern, functional and world-class capital city. Over the last three years, the scale of infrastructural development, urban renewal and project delivery in the FCT has been unmatched,” he said.

He listed the Court of Appeal Complex, Judges’ Quarters, the Outer Southern Expressway and several other landmark projects as evidence of what he described as Abuja’s ongoing renaissance.

“The timely completion and handover of this Body of Benchers Annex is yet another feather in that cap of accelerated governance. It shows that when leadership is focused, things get done, and they get done right.”

Tinubu urged the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Olorogun Albert Akpomudje SAN, and members of the body to utilise the facility as a centre for justice, mentorship and legal reforms that respond to the evolving needs of Nigerians.

“My administration will continue to play its part, ensuring that our judicial officers are well-housed, well-remunerated and provided with the tools to dispense justice without fear or favour,” he added.

Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barr Nyesom Wike attributed the delivery of the project to President Tinubu’s support and prompt release of funds, saying the administration had consistently prioritised projects that strengthen institutions of justice.

The minister recalled that the proposal for the annex was initiated by former Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, who appealed for additional office accommodation after the annual budget had already been passed.

According to Wike, he approached President Tinubu, who directed that the project be included in the supplementary budget, with the approval subsequently secured from the National Assembly.

“Luckily, he prayed very well and Mr. President said, ‘Put it in the supplementary budget.’ That was approved by the National Assembly, and today we are here commissioning the project,” Wike said.

He also disclosed that another request by the Body of Benchers to ease traffic congestion around the institution had already been addressed through the construction of a new road scheduled for commissioning by the Vice President.

The minister said the FCT Administration would continue to support institutions within the justice sector, assuring the Body of Benchers of government’s readiness to consider further requests that would enhance its operations.

Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Olorogun Albert Akpomudje SAN, described the new annex as a significant intervention that would strengthen legal education, professional discipline and the administration of justice.

He stressed the need for continued collaboration between government and development partners to sustain investments that protect public infrastructure and improve access to justice.

Delivering the vote of thanks, the Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strengthening institutions that uphold justice, discipline and the rule of law.

She described the annex as a landmark investment in Nigeria’s legal profession, saying it would serve as a centre for service, mentorship, ethical standards and professional excellence while advancing the work of the Body of Benchers in safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s justice system.

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The signage directing visitors to the office of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) remains mounted at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

According to The Cable, a visit to the secretariat on Monday showed that the signage, which also refers to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, was still on the floor occupied by the Federal Ministry of Health.

The Federal Secretariat houses ministries, departments and agencies and serves as a major administrative hub of the Federal Civil Service.

Despite the Presidency’s insistence that the PFIPC does not exist, the disputed council reportedly operated like a government agency.

It allegedly had an office at the Federal Secretariat, an allocation in the 2026 budget and approval to recruit staff.

In June, the Presidency distanced itself from the council, insisting that it was not created under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said his office did not appoint Adeniyi Adeyemi to head the organisation.

Adeyemi, however, challenged the disclaimer and called on the President to set up an independent panel to investigate the controversy.

Adeyemi questioned how the PFIPC allegedly appeared in the 2026 budget if the body did not exist.

A review of the 2026 Appropriation Act showed that the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was listed under the Presidency with a total allocation of ₦1.302 billion.

It was also reported that the Federal Government granted the disputed PFIPC a waiver to recruit 300 staff in August 2025.

The Presidency later accused Adeyemi of forging an appointment letter and falsely presenting himself as a presidential appointee.

Police have filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two others, who are said to be at large.

The Cable