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Pressure On Presidency Over Disputed Council, N1.3bn Budget Allocation

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Fresh pressure has mounted on the Presidency over the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), with opposition figures, legal experts and  political commentators demanding an independent investigation into the matter and questioning how a body described as non-existent appeared in federal budget documents and allegedly operated within government institutions.
The latest calls followed a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who dismissed the PFIPC and the purported Presidential Economic Advisory Council as fictitious entities, insisting that their alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, was an impostor facing prosecution for forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

According to Onanuga, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President had alerted security agencies in October 2025 after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission raised concerns over another body operating at cross-purposes with the commission.

He said Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police over forged appointment letters allegedly used by Adeyemi to parade himself as the head of the non-existent agency.

The Presidency said investigations established that the agency had no legal existence, while police recovered forged documents, arrested Adeyemi and later filed an eight-count charge against him and two others before the Federal High Court, Abuja. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.

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However, the Presidency’s explanation has failed to quell growing concerns after reports indicated that the disputed council appeared in the Presidency’s budget with a proposed allocation of about N1.3 billion.

Economist and finance analyst Kalu Aja had earlier questioned how a council declared non-existent could appear in officially approved budget documents, saying the issue raised serious concerns over budget credibility and public financial accountability.

Adding to the pressure, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday rejected the Presidency’s explanation, insisting that Gbajabiamila and other officials linked to the controversy could not be absolved through a press statement.

Atiku called for an independent judicial investigation, arguing that Nigerians deserved a transparent account of how an individual allegedly created and operated a federal agency from the Federal Secretariat without detection.

He also questioned how the purported agency allegedly obtained a budget code and a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act if it had no legal existence.

The former vice president further noted that Adeyemi reportedly held meetings with senior government officials, diplomats, traditional rulers and prospective investors, arguing that such extensive engagements made it difficult to accept that the organisation existed only as a fraudulent creation.

According to Atiku, the Presidency also failed to address allegations that Adeyemi claimed to have paid a N400 million bribe to Gbajabiamila, insisting that only a forensic public investigation involving all relevant officials would restore public confidence.

He also urged the government to ensure a speedy trial while inviting officials within both the executive and legislative arms of government to explain any roles they may have played in the matter.

 Political analyst Bayo Ayanga also joined calls for greater accountability, urging Gbajabiamila to temporarily step aside pending the conclusion of the court proceedings.

Speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ayanga argued that only a court judgment could completely clear the Chief of Staff of the allegations.

“The Presidency cannot clear him. Until the court decides the matter, there cannot be total clearance,” he said.

Ayanga clarified that he was not calling for Gbajabiamila’s resignation but only for him to step aside while the judicial process runs its course.
He also questioned the speed with which the Presidency defended the Chief of Staff, saying the official response came before the issues raised had been fully investigated.

Ayanga described the controversy as exposing major weaknesses in Nigeria’s governance system, questioning how an alleged impostor could establish an office in the Federal Secretariat, recruit staff, meet foreign diplomats and process official documentation without detection.

He also queried how the council allegedly found its way into the national budget and how accounts were reportedly opened with the Central Bank of Nigeria using allegedly forged documents.
Similarly, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) argued that the Presidency lacked constitutional powers to exonerate anyone connected with the controversy.

Falana demanded an independent investigation into both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi, while also asking the government to explain how a supposedly non-existent agency allegedly secured budgetary allocations and banking access.

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung likewise criticised the Presidency’s defence of Gbajabiamila, saying the official explanation generated more questions than answers.

Dalung argued that even if Adeyemi is eventually convicted, government still owes Nigerians explanations on how a fictitious presidential agency allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat, recruited staff, interacted with public institutions, met diplomats and reportedly secured a Central Bank account without detection.

He also questioned reports that the agency appeared in the national budget, noting that budget proposals undergo several layers of executive and legislative scrutiny before approval.

Dalung further called on the Presidency to explain who introduced the disputed budget line, approved office accommodation for the agency and why institutional safeguards failed to detect the alleged fraud much earlier.

He also urged investigators to fully account for the circumstances surrounding the death of Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, whom police identified as the individual allegedly linked to procuring Adeyemi’s forged appointment documents before his reported death in a hotel fire.

With the matter now before the courts and public scrutiny intensifying, the controversy has expanded beyond allegations of forgery and impersonation to broader questions about budget integrity, institutional oversight and accountability within the Presidency.
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