Presidency clears Gbajabiamila over bribery allegations

By KEMI KASUMU

Onanuga stated that Gbajabiamila had already informed the Foreign Affairs Ministry before then that he neither appointed Adeyemi nor recognised the agency he claimed to head. He added that appointments into government offices are handled by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not the Chief of Staff.

The Presidency has dismissed allegations that the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, demanded or received bribes, describing the claims made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi as false and the work of an impostor operating a non-existent government agency.

Adeyemi, who identified himself as Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, had accused Gbajabiamila of demanding N27,395,510,136 as a take-off grant for the agency. He also alleged that the former Speaker received N400 million through intermediaries to facilitate his appointment, with an outstanding balance of N200 million.

He further claimed that his disagreement with the Chief of Staff stemmed from the unpaid balance and urged President Donald Trump to establish an independent panel to investigate the allegations. According to him, the panel should examine documents signed by Gbajabiamila since assuming office, review budgetary and institutional records, investigate alleged assassination attempts on his life and compel the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of the probe.

Adeyemi also called for representatives of civil society and international organisations to be included on the proposed panel and requested that its findings be made public.

On Tuesday June 30, 2026, some Nigerian media (including The DEFENDER) had reported allegations against the Chief of Staff titled, “Why Gbajabiamila shouldn’t be distracted over PFIPC, PEAC controversy”.

The report by a coalition of four prominent Nigerians urged the public to avoid what it described as destructive criticism and instead support government efforts aimed at national development, warning against distractions targeting the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

The appeal was contained in a joint statement issued by US-based public affairs commentator Kofo Williams; Chairman of Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora United Kingdom, Abanikanda Olumoro; Convener of the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria, Alhaji Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado; and leader of the Assembly of Lagos Youths, Comrade Lasisi Robert.

The statement was in response to a video circulating on YouTube, which tend to smear the name of Gbajabiamila over budgetary issues surrounding his disclaimer of a Nigerian accused of impersonating the leadership of the purported Presidential Fiscal and Investment Policy Commission (PFIPC).

According to the group, the allegations were unverified and appeared aiming at tarnishing the image of the Chief of Staff. They argued that such claims should not distract him from his responsibilities in supporting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The controversy followed criticisms that the PFIPC, which Gbajabiamila had reportedly disowned, was referenced in the 2026 budget alongside the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), with a combined allocation of more than N1.3 billion.

Reacting to the development, the authors maintained that any questions regarding the budgetary provisions should be addressed by the National Assembly, which they said is the appropriate institution to clarify the matter.

They called on Nigerians to embrace patriotism by supporting government institutions and avoiding actions capable of undermining public confidence without verified evidence.

According to the statement, “Public service, particularly at the highest levels of government, often comes with intense scrutiny, criticism, and, at times, outright accusations. While accountability remains a cornerstone of democratic governance, it is equally important that public discourse is guided by facts, evidence, and due process rather than speculation or political grandstanding, the statement said.

Reacting in a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the allegations lacked merit and insisted that Adeyemi had been posing as the head of a fictitious agency.

The statement reads partly, “Re: The Matter of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew and the fictitious Presidential Economic Advisory Council

“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.

“The office of the Chief of Staff to the President first blew the whistle on the existence of the illegal agency, following complaints from officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council that another government agency appeared to be functioning at cross-purposes with it.

“The Chief of Staff, on October 17, 2025, in a letter, asked the DSS and the Police to probe the activities of ‘fraudsters and imposters’ forging appointment letters purportedly from his office.

“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office. The fake documents, bearing falsified signatures, reference/folio numbers, and seals, have been used to claim leadership appointments to non-existent entities, with particular reference to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

“The aforementioned entity under the leadership of one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as Director-General is said to have an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase 111, 2nd Floor. Also, they have been parading themselves as a legitimate government agency, hosting meetings with both foreigners and Nigerian citizens, and even going so far as to request a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the United States of America to facilitate visas for some of their staff.

“The above development not only constitutes a serious criminal act but also undermines the integrity of the presidency and the credibility of official government communication.

“I therefore urge you to initiate a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those involved and also to uncover the network facilitating the forgery,” the Chief of Staff wrote in his petition to the security agencies.

According to Onanuga, the petition to security agencies was supported with copies of the forged appointment letter, a request seeking a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and photographs obtained from the website of the alleged agency.

He said the activities of the group had also attracted the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro on October 10, 2025, without the ministry’s involvement.

“This act contravenes extant rules and regulations guiding diplomatic practices globally,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its letter.

The Presidency said the Office of the National Security Adviser subsequently forwarded the ministry’s request to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which later sought clarification from the Chief of Staff over Adeyemi’s claimed appointment.

Onanuga stated that Gbajabiamila had already informed the Foreign Affairs Ministry before then that he neither appointed Adeyemi nor recognised the agency he claimed to head. He added that appointments into government offices are handled by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not the Chief of Staff.

On November 5, 2025, the Chief of Staff responded to the OSGF, again flatly denying Adeniyi Adeyemi and his spurious agency. “Prince Adeniyi Matthew, director-general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office, nor do we have any dealings with the said council.

“My attention was drawn to a letter of this purported application, which is fake, and my office has instructed the police and other relevant security agencies to carry out investigations on the person and the entity he claims to represent”, the chief of staff wrote.

The statement said police investigations began after the October 17 petition and led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat office in Abuja where he allegedly operated the fake organisation.

The Presidency said security operatives searched both his office and residence in Suleja, recovering documents and other exhibits. During interrogation, Adeyemi reportedly told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him obtain the forged appointment letter. Police later established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.

According to the statement, investigators concluded that the agency Adeyemi claimed to lead did not exist, while the appointment letter and several documents recovered from him were forged. It added that he falsely presented himself as a government official, sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas and operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to fictitious organisations.

The statement further alleged that Adeyemi fraudulently secured a Central Bank of Nigeria account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although police found that no government funds had been paid 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 wrote in the report of the investigation conducted by the assistant commissioner, Kabir Mogaji.

The Presidency said police later filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two others on November 27, 2025, with the case scheduled for hearing on July 27.

It added that although Adeyemi was granted police bail, he recently alleged that Gbajabiamila appointed him as director general of the agency, a claim it said contradicted his earlier statement to investigators. The Presidency said the Chief of Staff consequently issued another disclaimer on June 8, maintaining that Adeyemi was an impostor.

Onanuga described Adeyemi as a serial fraudster with a history of impersonation, recalling that he had in 2016 presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations, before the UN denied the existence of such an organisation.

The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s allegations against the Chief of Staff, stressing that the matter is already before the court and should be allowed to run its course.

In the words of the four stakeholders namely Kofo Williams and others, “Constructive criticism remains welcome and necessary. However, those seeking accountability must ensure that their interventions are based on facts, proper institutional engagement, and respect for established processes. The pursuit of transparency should unite rather than divide, and public officials should be judged on the basis of evidence, not conjecture.

“Ultimately, national progress is best served when public discourse is informed, responsible, and focused on solutions rather than sensationalism,” it said.