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The dispute surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has escalated, with Adeniyi Adeyemi maintaining that he was legitimately appointed to head the body and expressing readiness to defend himself in court.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adeyemi said he had nothing to hide and welcomed the legal process after the Federal Government filed charges against him over his claim to be Director General of the council.

Responding to a question on whether he was prepared to face prosecution, he 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.”

Adeyemi also rejected allegations that he had misrepresented himself, insisting the judiciary would eventually establish the facts.

“Since the matter is in the court, let the court of competent jurisdiction vindicate me because I’m ready to clear my name.”

He added, “Let the court take its course. Since my lawyers are involved, everybody will follow us. They will monitor the whole thing. Then let the court of competent jurisdiction do what they need to.”

When questioned about how salaries for workers under the disputed council were financed, Adeyemi declined to provide details, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.

“The truth will be unravelled at the court of law.”

He further said, “Mr Seun [host of the programme], I don’t want to talk much about it since the matter is in court. In fact, I’m restricted from talking since the matter is in the courts. So let’s just get to the courts, Ok?”

The controversy erupted after the Presidency publicly distanced itself from the organisation Adeyemi claimed to lead. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga described the council as non-existent and accused Adeyemi of forging official documents and impersonating government officials.

According to Onanuga, “We are aware of the public interest in the matter of a man called Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who has been parading himself as the director-general of a fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council.”

He further alleged, “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 into playing by his scam book. He has a history of fraudulent misrepresentation.”

Adeyemi has denied the accusations and instead alleged that senior government officials attempted to interfere with the activities of the council after he resisted certain demands.

He specifically accused the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of seeking a share of the council’s take-off grant, an allegation the Presidency has rejected.

“The major rationale behind the disagreement between myself and the Chief of Staff is that he allegedly requested 48 per cent of the take-off grant (₦27,395,510,136) from the same agency, which he denies, which I rejected after he collected a total sum of ₦400 million by proxy, with a remaining balance of ₦200 million to secure the said appointment,” Adeyemi claimed.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to constitute an independent panel to investigate the allegations from all sides.

Adding another dimension to the controversy, details contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill published by the Budget Office list an entity named “Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” under code 0111062001 with a proposed allocation of ₦1.303 billion. The budget consists of ₦802.98 million for personnel costs, ₦200 million for overheads and ₦300 million for capital expenditure.

Despite that listing, the Presidency maintains that the council is fictitious and says investigations uncovered several bank accounts allegedly linked to the organisation.

Quoting findings from the police investigation, Onanuga said, “The Police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the police, no government money has been transferred into the account.

“The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community,” the police report stated.

Onanuga also disclosed that investigators filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.

He said, “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. He is due in court on July 27.”

The presidential spokesman added that Adeyemi was already on police bail when he publicly claimed to have been appointed Director General of the council.

“Adeyemi was on police bail when he recently claimed that the Chief of Staff had appointed him as DG of the fictitious agency. This claim contradicted his statement to the police in November last year. His new claim prompted the Chief of Staff, on June 8, to issue a disclaimer consistent with earlier advisories that the man, called Adeyemi, is an imposter.”

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Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has praised the Nigerian judiciary for what he described as its courage, independence and fidelity to the Constitution following the dismissal of a suit challenging the leadership of the party.

Reacting to Thursday’s judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Liman, which struck out the case, Atiku said the decision was a victory not only for the ADC but also for constitutional democracy, party autonomy and the rule of law.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the judgment reaffirmed the long-established legal principle that political parties are governed by their constitutions and that internal disputes must first be resolved through the mechanisms provided within those constitutions.

He noted that the court held it lacked jurisdiction because the matter concerned the internal affairs of the ADC and that the plaintiffs neither exhausted the party’s internal dispute resolution process nor established the legal standing required to approach the court.

“The court could not have been clearer. It rightly held that the matter borders on the internal affairs of the ADC, that the Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction, and that the plaintiffs neither exhausted the internal remedies provided by the party’s constitution nor established the locus standi required to invoke the jurisdiction of the court,” the statement read.

Atiku commended Justice Liman for refusing, in his words, to allow the judiciary to become “an extension of partisan political warfare.”

He described the ruling as a significant affirmation of judicial independence at a time when, according to him, “desperate political actors” are allegedly seeking to weaken the opposition through the courts.

“Today’s decision is a resounding affirmation that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and cannot be intimidated into legitimising political mischief,” he said.

The former vice president further alleged that opposition parties had faced repeated attempts at destabilisation through proxy litigation and institutional manipulation, but insisted that Thursday’s judgment demonstrated that the courts remained committed to justice and the Constitution.

Atiku maintained that the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) emerged through a lawful and transparent process in accordance with the ADC constitution and said no amount of litigation could invalidate that process.

He urged party members to remain calm, united and focused on what he described as the broader mission of offering Nigerians a credible political alternative.

“This victory is not an invitation to triumphalism. Rather, it is a renewed call for all democrats to continue strengthening our institutions and protecting the sanctity of the rule of law,” he said.

Congratulating the party leadership under Senator David Mark, Atiku said the ruling reinforces the ADC’s unity and readiness for the political challenges ahead.

“The journey to reclaim Nigeria continues, and no amount of political intimidation, sponsored litigation or abuse of state power will derail the democratic aspirations of the Nigerian people,” he added.

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Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), is set to defend Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is facing criminal charges filed by the Federal Government over allegations of conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and the use of forged presidential documents.

Adeyemi recently made headlines after accusing the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of demanding bribes running into hundreds of millions of naira in connection with his alleged appointment to head a government agency.

However, the Presidency has dismissed the allegations, insisting that Adeyemi was never appointed by President Bola Tinubu and that the agency he claimed to head does not exist.

Sources familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that Falana would represent Adeyemi in the criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Federal Government has filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi over alleged conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and the use of forged presidential documents.

The charge also listed two other suspects identified simply as Femi and Anu, whose surnames were not disclosed. Both are said to be at large.

According to the charge sheet, Adeyemi, whose address was listed as the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, allegedly conspired with the two suspects to forge several official State House documents.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged a presidential appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by Gbajabiamila.

They were also accused of forging official presidential letterheads and several State House documents, including requests for office space, collaboration with government agencies and approvals relating to the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The government further alleged that between 2024 and 2025, Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

Adeyemi has consistently maintained that he is the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The Federal Government, however, described the agency as fictitious, insisting that no such government institution exists.

The criminal charges followed Adeyemi’s allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded ₦400m and an additional ₦200m to facilitate his appointment as head of a government agency.

He also alleged that the Chief of Staff demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s proposed ₦27.4bn take-off grant.

Adeyemi challenged the Presidency to constitute an independent panel to investigate the allegations and subject official documents signed by Gbajabiamila to forensic examination.

But in a detailed response on Wednesday, the Presidency defended the Chief of Staff, saying investigations conducted by the Office of the Chief of Staff, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Police Force established that Adeyemi was never appointed by President Tinubu or any government authority.

According to the Presidency, the investigations revealed that Adeyemi allegedly forged official documents and falsely presented himself as the head of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The police said the case originated from a petition submitted by the Office of the Chief of Staff after forged appointment letters purportedly issued from the office were allegedly discovered.

Investigators alleged that forged documents bearing fake signatures, official seals and reference numbers were used to create the impression that Adeyemi headed a federal government agency.

According to the police, Adeyemi was arrested on October 27, 2025, at an office where he allegedly operated as Director-General of the purported council.

Searches conducted at the office and his residence in APC Quarters, Suleja, Niger State, reportedly led to the recovery of several documents and exhibits linked to the investigation.

Police said Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola procured the alleged appointment letter for him.

However, investigators said they later established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja, a claim they said was corroborated by his family, hospital officials and church records.

The police further disclosed that financial intelligence obtained from the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) revealed that Adeyemi maintained 34 active bank accounts across various commercial banks.

Investigators also alleged that he opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria in the name of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The police concluded that their investigation established a prima facie case against Adeyemi, alleging that he deliberately forged presidential documents and falsely presented himself as a Federal Government appointee.