Impostor director-general maintains legitimacy of their appointment

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, accused of posing as the Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council, maintains his appointment is authentic, despite facing charges of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation.

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Adeyemi expressed confidence in being vindicated, stating the matter is already before a court, during a telephone interview on Channels Television's programme, Politics Today, on Thursday.

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When asked if he was evading the law, Adeyemi responded, "Not at all," and when questioned about his readiness to face trial, he said, "Definitely, if I am wrong, let the court of law do that; if I am right, let the court of law do the right thing."

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Adeyemi claimed to have a letter of appointment, but refused to discuss it further since the matter is in court, citing his current medication and illness as reasons for not saying more.

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Regarding whether he considered himself a criminal, Adeyemi replied, "No, I am not a criminal," and added that the court will ultimately do justice to that matter.

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Adeyemi addressed Nigerians, questioning claims that the agency did not exist, and argued that he could not have mustered the courage to operate openly in its name if it were indeed non-existent.

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For several months, Adeyemi operated openly in the name of the PFIPC, with the office reportedly hosting high-profile events and engaging with government agencies, and even securing a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 national budget.

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The Presidency, however, dismissed Adeyemi's claims, describing him as an impostor facing criminal prosecution over an alleged forgery and impersonation scheme, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

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Police investigations found that Adeyemi forged a presidential appointment letter, operated a fictitious government agency, and maintained 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of non-existent government bodies.

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Adeyemi was arrested by the police on October 27, 2025, after Gbajabiamila petitioned security agencies over an alleged elaborate forgery and impersonation scheme, and the Nigeria Police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against him and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

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The case is scheduled to come up in court on July 27, 2026, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission had raised concerns over the activities of the purported agency before the police investigation commenced.

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Adeyemi accused the Chief of Staff of demanding N27.4 billion and alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy, with an outstanding balance of N200 million, and has urged President Bola Tinubu to constitute an independent investigative panel to examine the allegations.

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Adeyemi also called on the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation, and for the panel to review official documents relating to the disputed agencies and publish its findings.