The Presidency has dismissed allegations that President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, collected N600 million to facilitate a government appointment, insisting that the Chief of Staff has no constitutional power to issue appointment letters.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement was in response to claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi, who describes himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). Adeyemi had alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to secure his appointment.
The Presidency, however, described the allegations as false, maintaining that the PFIPC is a non-existent government agency and that Adeyemi was never appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
According to the statement, the Office of the Chief of Staff first uncovered the alleged fraud after complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) that another agency was operating in parallel with its functions.
On October 17, 2025, Gbajabiamila reportedly petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The petition stated that forged documents bearing fake signatures, reference numbers and official seals were being used to claim leadership positions in non-existent government agencies, particularly the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The Presidency also disclosed that officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier raised concerns over Adeyemi’s activities after he reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge.
According to the statement, the ministry sought clarification from both the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) regarding the status of Adeyemi’s agency.
Responding to the inquiries, the Chief of Staff denied ever issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi.
“The Chief of Staff could not have issued a letter of appointment to a non-existent agency. Moreover, the Chief of Staff does not make appointments or write letters, as these are the exclusive preserve of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” the statement read.
The Presidency further disclosed that Adeyemi was arrested by the police on October 27, 2025, at an office in Abuja allegedly used to operate the scheme.
Following searches conducted at his office and residence in Suleja, investigators reportedly recovered several documents and exhibits linked to the alleged fraud.
According to the statement, Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter. However, police later established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025, days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The police investigation reportedly concluded that the PFIPC was fictitious and that Adeyemi forged appointment documents, impersonated a government official and fraudulently requested a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for himself and his associates.
Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine opened in the names of fictitious agencies.
The Presidency further claimed that Adeyemi used forged documents to fraudulently open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, adding that no government funds were paid into the account.
Police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. He is expected to appear in court on July 27.
The Presidency also alleged that Adeyemi had a history of impersonation, recalling that in 2016 he presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation (WYO), which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations. According to the statement, the UN later denied the existence of the organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s allegations against the Chief of Staff, stressing that the matter is already before the court and remains sub judice.
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