The Presidency has dismissed allegations that President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, collected ₦400 million and demanded an additional ₦200 million to facilitate a federal appointment, describing the claims as false and the accuser as an impostor.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, insisted that the Chief of Staff neither issues appointment letters nor has the authority to make government appointments, stressing that such responsibilities lie exclusively with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The statement was a response to allegations by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), accusing Gbajabiamila of demanding bribes in exchange for confirming his appointment.
According to the Presidency, the PFIPC is a non-existent government agency and Adeyemi was never appointed by President Bola Tinubu or any arm of the Federal Government.
Onanuga revealed that concerns first emerged after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) reported that another body was operating in parallel while presenting itself as a government agency.
Following the complaints, the Office of the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging official appointment letters bearing the Chief of Staff’s name, signature and official seals.
The Presidency said investigations uncovered an elaborate scheme in which Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment documents, falsely presented himself as a government official, hosted diplomatic meetings, sought official diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account using fake government documents.
According to the police investigation cited by the Presidency, Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies.
Authorities also recovered several forged documents during searches of his Abuja office and Suleja residence.
The statement disclosed that Adeyemi was arrested on October 27, 2025, and later charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence. His trial is scheduled to continue on July 27.
The Presidency further noted that Adeyemi had previously admitted to police that another individual assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter, a claim that contradicts his recent allegation that Gbajabiamila personally appointed him.
Onanuga also referenced an earlier incident in 2016, when Adeyemi allegedly claimed to be an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation (WYO), an organisation later disowned by the United Nations.
Urging Nigerians and political actors to avoid spreading what it described as false narratives, the Presidency maintained that Adeyemi’s latest allegations are already before the court and should be allowed to run their legal course.
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