Profile: Meet Adeyemi, the face behind Nigeria’s ghost agency

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has emerged as the central figure in the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency the Presidency insists was never established despite appearing in the 2026 federal budget with an allocation exceeding ₦1.3 billion.

Adeyemi, who describes himself as a public administrator and investment promoter, is facing an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency.

The charges stem from his claim that he was the Director-General of the PFIPC, which he said was created to attract foreign investment into Nigeria. According to him, the council had government approvals, offices, staff and bank accounts.

He also claimed during a television interview that he paid ₦400 million to secure the appointment, an allegation the Presidency has denied.

The Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has maintained that the PFIPC has no legal backing and was never created by the Federal Government.

According to the Presidency, Adeyemi forged official documents, including appointment letters purportedly signed by senior government officials, to present himself as the head of the council.

It further alleged that he operated from an office within Phase III of the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, where he held meetings with government officials, diplomats, investors and members of the public.

Investigators also alleged that he sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals linked to the purported agency.

Budget controversy

The controversy intensified after budget documents showed that an entity listed as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, or similar variations, received more than ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The allocation comprised about ₦802.98 million for personnel costs, ₦200 million for overhead and ₦300 million for capital expenditure.

The revelation triggered widespread public scrutiny, with critics questioning how an agency now disowned by the Presidency found its way into the federal budget.

While acknowledging the budget allocation, the Presidency has insisted that the PFIPC was never lawfully established under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The matter has also prompted calls for an investigation into how the agency passed through the budget approval process involving the Budget Office, Federal Executive Council, National Assembly and presidential assent.

Investigation and court case

Following a petition by the Chief of Staff in October 2025, security agencies launched an investigation into the matter.

Adeyemi was arrested on October 27, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, where he allegedly operated from.

Police investigators reportedly uncovered several bank accounts allegedly linked to him, including accounts said to have been opened using false representations.

On November 27, 2025, the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two others, accusing them of forgery, impersonation, false personation and operating a fictitious government agency.

The case is scheduled to resume on July 27, 2026.

Previous controversy

The PFIPC allegations are not the first time Adeyemi has attracted public attention.

In 2016, he announced that he had emerged as President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations.

The claim later came under scrutiny after the UN reportedly denied any affiliation with the organisation.

The Presidency has cited the incident as part of what it describes as a pattern of false representation.

Adeyemi’s defence

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adeyemi rejected allegations that he is an impostor, insisting that the court should determine the matter.

“I’m not a con artiste. Let the court decide on the matter,” he said.

He questioned the Presidency’s position, arguing that he could not have openly met with senior government officials, ambassadors and heads of agencies if the PFIPC did not exist.

Adeyemi also confirmed that he is a member of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State but denied claims that his alleged appointment was politically motivated.

He has publicly stated that he attended Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke, studied at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and obtained a master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, although those claims have not been independently verified.

As legal proceedings continue, the central question remains whether the PFIPC was ever lawfully created or whether it was a fictitious agency, as alleged by the Presidency.