Presidential Scandal Deepens: Adeyemi Breaks Silence Amid Disownment

Adeniyi Adeyemi, the individual purporting to be the Director General of the contentious ‘Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC),’ has addressed the public following the Presidency’s forceful denial of the agency’s existence. Adeyemi, while expressing his determination to clear his name, asserts that his current predicament stems from a significant dispute with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, concerning a substantial multi-billion-naira take-off grant.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adeyemi accused high-ranking government officials of deliberately obstructing his activities after he refused to comply with their financial demands. He vehemently denied any misconduct and levied serious allegations of bribery and extortion against the President’s Chief of Staff. Adeyemi claimed, “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.”

These explosive claims emerge amidst escalating controversy and immediately after a comprehensive rebuttal from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who unequivocally disavowed the agency, branding the entire operation as a scam. Despite the Presidency’s stance, Adeyemi dismissed accusations labeling him a con artist, maintaining that his appointment to lead the organization was lawful and that he is fully prepared to defend his mandate in court.

When questioned by the program host about the funding source for the salaries of staff currently employed by the disputed council, Adeyemi declined to provide specific operational details, citing ongoing legal proceedings. He stated, “Mr Seun, 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?” He reiterated his belief that the complete truth would be revealed before a judge.

In the face of the scandal, Adeyemi displayed defiance, expressing his absolute readiness to confront the legal ramifications of the saga to vindicate himself. When directly asked if he was prepared to face the law, he affirmed, “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.” He urged the public to closely monitor the impending legal battle, concluding, “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.”

In contrast, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga issued a statement regarding “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.” Onanuga described Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as “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.”