The embattled Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has claimed that he personally lobbied officials at the Budget Office to secure the inclusion of the controversial agency in the 2026 Federal Government budget.
Adeniyi made the claims during an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in an Instagram video released on Sunday following his arrest.
The alleged agency, whose authenticity is under investigation, was controversially allocated about ₦1.3bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act, triggering public outrage and fresh scrutiny of Nigeria’s budget process.
During the interview, Adeniyi absolved the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any involvement in the budgetary allocation, insisting that he had never met him in person.
According to Adeniyi, he first approached the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek the agency’s inclusion in the 2025 budget but was informed that the appropriation process had already closed.
“I went to the Budget Office for the 2025 budget. I submitted the letter and everything that I wanted, but I was told it was already late,” he said.
He claimed officials subsequently advised him that the proposal would instead be considered for the 2026 budget.
“When the 2025 budget came out and I didn’t see this budget, those people that I went to then said it would now be for the 2026 budget. We kept in touch because they said it would be considered later.”
Adeniyi further alleged that a female official helped him gain access to the Director-General of the Budget Office, who later referred him to another senior official.
“She helped me to see the oga. Oga now said, ‘Where is my shini?’ I said I don’t have any shini. He later asked me to meet one director.”
According to him, the director informed him that the proposal could not be accommodated in the 2025 budget but assured him that efforts would continue ahead of the 2026 appropriation.
“They were trying for me that maybe they would include it, but unfortunately they said it could not be included in the 2025 budget. They said it would be for 2026.”
Asked whether he paid any official to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied offering money.
“Honestly, I did not pay any money. I didn’t pay anybody. The only thing I promised was that if I started employing people, I could help them with employment opportunities.
“That was the favour I promised them. I did not give anybody money. It was just a promise that if they had people, I could employ them.”
Adeniyi claimed his arrest halted the process and expressed surprise when he later learnt that the agency had eventually appeared in the 2026 budget.
“Immediately there was a problem, everything stopped. Even the woman that wanted to help was calling because she couldn’t reach me. She was scared. I told her to let everything stop.
“I didn’t even know until they said it was inside the budget. I had already left the office. Where would I still pursue the budget again when I was already facing court?”
Asked whether Budget Office officials might have inserted the agency into the budget after his arrest, he said he could not explain how it happened.
“I don’t know because once that problem started, everything stopped. Why would I still pursue the budget when I was already in trouble?”
Adeniyi also addressed allegations that he paid ₦400m to secure his purported appointment, claiming the money was delivered in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
When asked in what currency the payment was made, he replied, “Dollars.”
Asked who received the funds, he responded, “Dolapo.”
Despite the claim, Adeniyi maintained that he never met Gbajabiamila.
“I never met Gbajabiamila physically before or after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me.”
In the caption accompanying the interview, VeryDarkMan called for a comprehensive investigation into the Budget Office and other government institutions, arguing that Adeniyi should not be the only person held accountable if his allegations are substantiated.
The Telegraph reports that Adeniyi’s allegations have not been independently verified, and none of the officials or institutions mentioned has publicly responded to the latest claims.
Background
The Telegraph previously reported that Adeniyi allegedly operated a fictitious government agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, presenting himself as its Director-General while allegedly using forged government documents and operating from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Investigators alleged that the appointment letter he relied upon was forged and falsely attributed to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. Security agencies subsequently arrested and charged him with offences including forgery and impersonation.
Despite the agency having no legal basis, it later appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of about ₦1.3bn, prompting widespread criticism and calls for a thorough investigation into the Federal Government’s budgeting process.
The Presidency has consistently described Adeniyi as an impostor and distanced both the Federal Government and the Office of the Chief of Staff from the alleged organisation.
