The Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has claimed that the N400 million he allegedly paid to secure his appointment was borrowed, revealing that those who provided the funds have now petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover their money.
Adeyemi made the disclosure during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, weeks after alleging that President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, received the money through an intermediary to facilitate his appointment.
“I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this money from have reported to the EFCC. I borrowed this money to pay for this appointment. They have written to the EFCC, asking me to refund their money.
“So, I’m not even here to pay the money back. I borrowed this money,” Adeyemi said.
He also criticised the government’s handling of the controversy, describing its response as unfair and alleging that some officials had deliberately subjected him to public embarrassment.
“Imagine the government claiming I manoeuvred the whole system. It’s unfortunate,” he said.
Addressing reports that a United States lobbying firm was helping him seek asylum, Adeyemi denied having any direct knowledge of such an arrangement, saying he only learned about it through media reports.
Despite official claims that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency, Adeyemi maintained that his appointment was valid. He argued that he operated openly for nearly three years, engaged with heads of ministries, departments and agencies, and hosted delegations from institutions including the EFCC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The controversy intensified after the council appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of more than N1.3 billion, prompting fresh questions about how an agency the government has described as fictitious was included in the national budget.
In response, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit its findings within 30 days.
The allegations made by Adeyemi remain unproven, and the individuals and institutions he mentioned have denied any wrongdoing or are yet to respond publicly. Investigations by the relevant anti-corruption agencies are ongoing.
