Presidency defends Gbajabiamila, denies appointing alleged fake council DG

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

The Presidency has defended the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, dismissing claims that he appointed Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew as Director-General of a purported Presidential Economic Advisory Council, and describing both the appointment and the agency as fictitious.

It maintained that the Chief of Staff neither issued any appointment letter to Adeyemi nor had the authority to appoint anyone into such a position, stressing that appointments into federal offices are the exclusive responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following renewed claims by Adeyemi that he was appointed by the Chief of Staff.

According to the statement, Adeyemi is facing criminal prosecution over allegations of forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence after allegedly creating and operating a fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

The Presidency said the Office of the Chief of Staff first raised the alarm after complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission that another body was operating at cross-purposes with it while presenting itself as a federal government agency.

It said the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into what he described as the activities of “fraudsters and imposters” forging appointment letters purportedly issued 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 Chief of Staff said in the petition.

According to the statement, the forged documents were allegedly used to appoint Adeyemi as Director-General of the non-existent agency, which operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.

The Presidency alleged that Adeyemi hosted meetings with Nigerian and foreign officials while presenting himself as a government appointee and also sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visa applications for officials of the purported agency.

It said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge, describing the action as contrary to established diplomatic procedures.

Responding to an inquiry from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on November 5, 2025, Gbajabiamila wrote: “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 Presidency said police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest in Abuja on October 27, 2025, after detectives searched his office and residence in Suleja and recovered documents and other exhibits allegedly linked to the operation.

According to the statement, investigators established that the agency was fictitious and that the appointment letter and other official documents in Adeyemi’s possession were forged.

It further stated that police uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to the suspect, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies, and found that he used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. However, investigators confirmed that no government funds were paid into the account.

Quoting the police investigation report, the statement said: “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 Presidency disclosed that the police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 27, 2025, and that the case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.

It added that while on police bail, Adeyemi recently renewed claims that the Chief of Staff appointed him, contrary to his earlier statement to investigators, prompting another public disclaimer from Gbajabiamila on June 8.

Onanuga also alleged that Adeyemi had a history of making false claims, recalling that in 2016 he reportedly presented himself as 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.

He urged politicians and members of the public not to prejudge the matter, noting that the case is already before the court.

“They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgement, as comments made today are sub judice,” the statement added.