Fake council saga: Police file eight-count charge against Adeyemi as Presidency, Atiku clash

The Federal Government has filed an eight-count charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the promoter of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), while the suspect insists he was legitimately appointed and is prepared to defend himself in court.

 

Adeyemi, who appeared on Channels Television on Thursday, maintained that he received an appointment letter and denied any wrongdoing.

 

“I have a letter of appointment… If I am wrong, let the court of law decide. If I am right, let the court do the right thing,” he said.

 

The Presidency, however, dismissed his claims, insisting that the PFIPC does not exist and describing Adeyemi as an impersonator.

 

In a statement, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said the Nigeria Police filed the charges against Adeyemi and two others at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 27, 2025. He is expected to appear in court on July 27, 2026.

 

According to Onanuga, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alerted security agencies after complaints emerged that forged appointment letters bearing his signature and official seals were being used to legitimise the alleged agency.

 

He said police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest in October 2025 and the recovery of forged documents from his office and residence.

 

The Presidency further alleged that the suspect falsely presented himself as a government appointee and attempted to obtain diplomatic support, including documentation for United States visas.

 

However, the controversy deepened after reports indicated that a council bearing a similar name appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of about ₦1.302 billion under the Presidency.

 

Reacting to the development, Adeyemi questioned how a non-existent agency could appear in the national budget.

 

“If the agency does not exist, yet found its way into the Nigerian national budget, then the entire 2026 Appropriation Act is questionable,” he said.

 

He also claimed the agency operated official accounts, including Treasury Single Account and Central Bank of Nigeria accounts, insisting that he could not have openly interacted with ministries and foreign diplomats for years if the organisation were entirely fictitious.

 

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the Presidency’s explanation had exposed what he described as deep institutional failures within the government.

 

In a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned how a supposedly non-existent agency was allocated funds in the 2026 budget and demanded an independent investigation.

 

He also challenged the Budget Office, the National Assembly and other government institutions to explain how the allocation was approved if the agency had no legal existence.

 

The Presidency has maintained that the matter is before the court and that investigations established the PFIPC had no legal basis within the Federal Government.