The Presidency has dismissed allegations made by Adeniyi Adeyemi against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, accusing him of forging an appointment letter and falsely presenting himself as a presidential appointee.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Adeyemi as the convener of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, insisting that no such government agency exists.
The clarification follows Adeyemi’s recent allegation that Gbajabiamila demanded a N400 million bribe.
According to Onanuga, concerns over the activities of the alleged council prompted the Chief of Staff to petition the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in October 2025 after reports emerged that the group was operating alongside the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
He said Gbajabiamila informed security agencies that forged appointment letters bearing his signature, official seals and reference numbers were being circulated to give legitimacy to the non-existent organisation.
Onanuga maintained that Gbajabiamila could not have appointed Adeyemi because appointments into government offices are processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), not the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The presidential spokesman further disclosed that Adeyemi was arrested by the police in Abuja on October 27, 2025, after searches of his office and residence allegedly uncovered forged government documents.
According to the Presidency, investigations revealed that Adeyemi forged his appointment letter, falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee and attempted to obtain a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the procurement of United States visas for himself and members of the purported council.
Onanuga also alleged that investigators discovered Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine reportedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies. He added that the suspect allegedly used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although investigators found no evidence that public funds had been deposited into the account.
The Presidency stated that the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other defendants before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. The matter has been fixed for hearing on July 27, 2026.
Onanuga noted that Adeyemi’s latest claim that he was appointed Director-General of the purported council by Gbajabiamila contradicts statements he allegedly made during police investigations.
He urged politicians and members of the public to avoid drawing conclusions while the matter remains before the court, stressing that the judicial process should be allowed to take its course.
