By Seun Ibiyemi
The embattled Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has disclosed that the N400 million he allegedly paid to secure his appointment was borrowed and that his creditors have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the money.
Adeyemi made the revelation during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, weeks after accusing the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, of receiving the funds through a proxy to facilitate his appointment.
“I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this money from have reported to the EFCC. I borrowed this money to pay for this appointment.
They have written to the EFCC, asking me to refund their money. So, I’m not even here to pay the money back. I borrowed this money,” Adeyemi said.
He described the Federal Government’s handling of the controversy as “very unfortunate,” accusing unnamed officials of attempting to embarrass him.
“Imagine the government claiming I manoeuvre the whole system. It’s unfortunate,” he added.
Responding to reports that a United States lobbying firm was assisting him to seek asylum abroad, Adeyemi said he became aware of the development through media reports and had no detailed knowledge of the matter.
“I read it the way you read it. Some people call me that they are looking for me,” he said, adding that he had largely withdrawn from social media following efforts to shut down his online accounts.
Adeyemi also denied reports suggesting that he planned to flee Nigeria.
“They pulled my social media handle down, and they still reported that I was about to run away out of Nigeria. I’m still in Nigeria. I’m not going anywhere,” he stated.
The controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council gained public attention after the Presidency issued a disclaimer on June 11, declaring that no such agency exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and describing Adeyemi as an impostor.
In a subsequent statement issued on July 1, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that police investigations had allegedly uncovered forged presidential appointment documents purportedly signed by Gbajabiamila.
The Presidency further alleged that Adeyemi operated a fictitious government agency and maintained 34 bank accounts, including nine reportedly opened in the names of non-existent government institutions.
According to the Presidency, concerns about the council first emerged in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission raised questions about another government-styled organisation allegedly carrying out overlapping functions.
Despite the official disclaimer, Adeyemi has insisted that his appointment was legitimate, claiming that he operated openly for nearly three years, interacting with ministries, departments and agencies and hosting foreign delegations, including officials from the EFCC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He has also accused Gbajabiamila of demanding an additional N200 million and seeking 48 per cent of an alleged N27.4 billion take-off grant earmarked for the council.
However, lawyers representing the Chief of Staff have dismissed the allegations as false and threatened legal action, including a N10 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi.
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In a separate interview with social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi admitted that he had never met Gbajabiamila in person and could not independently verify the identity of the individual he communicated with by telephone.
The controversy has deepened following revelations that the PFIPC was included in the 2026 national budget with an allocation exceeding N1.3 billion, raising fresh questions about how an agency now described as fictitious secured budgetary approval.
President Tinubu has since directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit its findings within 30 days.
