Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man linked to the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, says he borrowed the N400 million he allegedly paid to secure an appointment letter connected to the body. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, he said his lenders had petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and were demanding repayment.
Adeyemi has accused President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, of receiving the money through an intermediary to facilitate his appointment. Gbajabiamila has denied the allegations through his lawyers, who described them as false and threatened legal action.
No court or anti-corruption agency has publicly established that Gbajabiamila received the money. Adeyemi’s account therefore remains an allegation under investigation.
During the television interview, Adeyemi said the N400 million did not belong to him and that those who supplied the funds were now seeking a refund.
“I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this money from have reported to the EFCC,” he said.
“They have written to the EFCC, asking me to refund their money.”
Adeyemi also criticised the government’s handling of the controversy, describing it as “very, very unfortunate”. He rejected suggestions that he manipulated government systems to present himself as the head of a federal body.
He said he remained in Nigeria and had no intention of leaving the country, despite reports that a United States lobbying company was helping him pursue asylum.
Adeyemi said he had learnt about the alleged asylum move through media reports and information from relatives and friends. He also claimed that some of his social media accounts had been taken down.
The controversy became public after the Presidency said the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, known as PFIPC, was not a recognised agency under the Tinubu administration.
In a statement issued on 1 July, the Presidency alleged that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s signature, operated a fictitious government organisation and misled officials into opening multiple bank accounts connected to the council.
The Presidency also alleged that he held meetings with foreign representatives without the knowledge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Adeyemi has disputed the government’s account and insisted that his appointment was genuine.
According to reports, concerns about the organisation emerged after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission raised questions about another body performing duties that appeared to overlap with its responsibilities.
Adeyemi has claimed that he worked openly for nearly three years, met officials from ministries, departments and agencies, and received foreign delegations. Those claims have not yet been tested in court.
The case has attracted wider attention because the disputed council appeared in Nigeria’s 2026 budget with an allocation of more than N1.3 billion.
Reports also indicate that the council was allocated office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja. These details have raised questions about how an organisation described by the Presidency as fictitious entered the federal budget and gained access to government facilities.
The budget allocation does not, by itself, prove that the council was lawfully created. Federal agencies are normally established through legislation, presidential approval or another recognised legal process, and must have a clear administrative structure.
Adeyemi has also alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a further N200 million and sought 48 per cent of a proposed N27.4 billion take-off grant. Gbajabiamila’s lawyers have rejected the claims and threatened a N10 billion defamation action.
Adeyemi later acknowledged that he had never met Gbajabiamila in person and could not confirm the identity of the person with whom he allegedly spoke by telephone. That admission is likely to become important as investigators examine the evidence.
Police have reportedly filed charges against Adeyemi and two other people, including allegations of forgery, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence. The allegations remain unproven unless and until a court reaches a verdict.
President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the controversy. The case has also prompted scrutiny in the National Assembly, with lawmakers seeking answers about the council’s appearance in the federal budget.
The ICPC investigation is expected to examine the appointment documents, the alleged N400 million payment, the council’s bank accounts and the officials involved in approving its budget entry and office space.
For now, readers should treat all claims against Adeyemi, Gbajabiamila and other officials as allegations. The next important developments will be the findings of the anti-corruption investigation, the outcome of the criminal proceedings and any evidence produced to show who authorised the council’s activities.