The Presidency has exonerated the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, from allegations linking him to a forged appointment into a non-existent federal agency. In a detailed statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency dismissed claims that Gbajabiamila issued an appointment letter to Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who is accused of presenting himself as the head of a fictitious presidential body.
The clarification followed growing public scrutiny over Adeyemi's alleged activities involving a fake organisation known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, as well as claims that he was connected to other non-existent presidential institutions.
According to the Presidency, concerns first emerged after government agencies discovered that the group had been carrying out official-looking engagements, including meetings with foreign diplomats and attempts to obtain diplomatic documentation to facilitate visa processing.
The statement stressed that Gbajabiamila played no role in any such appointment, maintaining that there is no record in the Chief of Staff's office indicating that he issued any appointment letter or authorised the establishment of the purported agency.
It further explained that the Office of the Chief of Staff does not possess the authority to make appointments into government agencies, noting that such responsibilities are exclusively handled by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Following the discovery of the alleged scheme, security agencies, including the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force, were directed to investigate the activities of those suspected of forging official presidential documents.
Investigators reportedly recovered forged documents, official seals and correspondence allegedly used to create the impression that the fictitious council was a legitimate government institution. Authorities also alleged that Adeyemi used the platform to engage unsuspecting individuals and organisations.
The Presidency added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised diplomatic concerns after the suspect allegedly held meetings with ambassadors without authorisation and outside established diplomatic procedures.
According to police findings referenced in the statement, Adeyemi allegedly operated several bank accounts associated with fabricated entities and relied on forged documents in an effort to legitimise his activities.
Authorities disclosed that the suspect was arrested in Abuja and arraigned alongside two other individuals. Investigations, they said, established that the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has no legal recognition or institutional backing within the Federal Government.
The Presidency reaffirmed that Gbajabiamila has no connection to the alleged fraud, describing attempts to implicate him as misleading and unsupported by official records.
It also noted that the matter is already before the court and urged members of the public to refrain from speculation, emphasising that the judicial process will determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.