Presidency Dismisses Allegation Against Gbajabiamila, Says Accuser Is an ‘Impostor’ Facing Trial

Presidency Dismisses Allegation Against Gbajabiamila, Says Accuser Is an ‘Impostor’ Facing Trial

The Presidency has dismissed allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to bribery or the appointment of the head of a purported presidential agency, describing the claims as false and the accuser as an impostor currently facing criminal prosecution.

In a statement issued on July 1, 2026, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Office of the Chief of Staff had, as far back as October 2025, alerted security agencies to the activities of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, whom it accused of impersonation, forgery and operating a fictitious government agency.

According to the Presidency, Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, using forged appointment letters purportedly issued in the name of the Chief of Staff.

The statement explained that the Office of the Chief of Staff first raised the alarm after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) reported that another organisation was operating as though it were a legitimate federal agency.

On October 17, 2025, Gbajabiamila’s office formally petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging presidential appointment letters and impersonating government officials.

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According to the petition, the suspects allegedly used forged documents bearing fake signatures, official seals and reference numbers to create the impression that the agency had presidential backing. The Presidency said the group also held meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian stakeholders and even sought a diplomatic note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for its members.

The statement further revealed that before the petition to security agencies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had written to both the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Office of the Chief of Staff seeking clarification about Adeyemi’s status.

The ministry’s inquiry followed a meeting allegedly organised by Adeyemi with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja on October 10, 2025, without notifying or involving the ministry. According to the ministry, the meeting violated established diplomatic protocols.

Subsequently, the Office of the National Security Adviser contacted the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which also sought clarification from the Chief of Staff regarding the purported appointment.

The Presidency said Gbajabiamila categorically denied appointing Adeyemi or authorising the creation of the agency, stressing that appointments of that nature fall within the constitutional responsibilities of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not the Chief of Staff.

Police later arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at an office located within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where he allegedly operated the fake agency. Searches conducted at his office and residence in Suleja, Niger State, reportedly led to the recovery of forged documents and other exhibits linked to the alleged operation.

During interrogation, Adeyemi reportedly claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter. However, investigators later established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025, several days before Adeyemi’s arrest.

According to the Presidency, police investigations concluded that the agency Adeyemi claimed to head never existed and that he forged appointment letters and other official documents to impersonate a presidential appointee.

Investigators also alleged that he fraudulently opened 34 bank accounts, including nine in the names of fictitious organisations such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).

The police further alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account after misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. Authorities, however, said no government funds were transferred into the account.

Police reportedly concluded that Adeyemi’s actions amounted to forgery, criminal impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, adding that the alleged activities brought the Presidency into disrepute.

Based on the outcome of the investigation, police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled to resume on July 27, 2026.

The Presidency noted that although Adeyemi was granted police bail, he later resurfaced with fresh allegations claiming that Gbajabiamila personally appointed him to head the fictitious agency. It described the claim as contradictory to the statement he earlier made during police investigations.

Onanuga urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s allegations or politicise the matter while the case remains before the court.

He further claimed that Adeyemi has a history of making false representations, recalling that in 2016 he allegedly presented himself as the President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations, before the UN reportedly denied the existence of such an organisation.

“The case of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew is 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,” the statement read.

The Presidency maintained that the allegations against Femi Gbajabiamila are without merit and urged Nigerians to allow the ongoing judicial process to take its course.

Presidency Dismisses Allegation Against Gbajabiamila, Says Accuser Is an ‘Impostor’ Facing Trial