The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to an alleged appointment-for-cash scheme, describing his accuser, Adeniyi Matthew, who claims to be Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, as an impostor.
The Presidency’s response followed allegations by Matthew that Gbajabiamila demanded N27.4 billion from the take-off grant of a purported government agency and received N400 million through proxies to facilitate his appointment as director-general, with an outstanding balance of N200 million.
Matthew also alleged that disagreements over the unpaid balance led to tensions between them and claimed there had been attempts on his life. He called for an independent investigative panel comprising civil society and international organisations, urged Gbajabiamila to step aside, and demanded that the panel’s findings be made public.
However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the allegations as false and described Matthew as a “serial con artist.”
According to the Presidency, security agencies have been investigating Matthew since October 2025 following a petition by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged forgery of official appointment letters and impersonation of government officials.
“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office,” the petition, signed by Gbajabiamila, stated.
“The above development not only constitutes a serious criminal act but also undermines the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communication.
“I therefore urge you to initiate a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those involved and also to uncover the network facilitating the forgery.”
The Presidency further stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had raised concerns after Matthew allegedly convened a meeting with ambassadors in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge or approval.
It added that both the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation subsequently sought clarification on the status of the purported agency.
In response, Gbajabiamila denied appointing Matthew or recognising the agency.
“Prince Adeniyi Matthew, Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office, nor do we have any dealings with the said council,” the Chief of Staff said.
“My attention was drawn to a letter of this purported application, which is fake, and my office has instructed the police and other relevant security agencies to investigate the individual and the entity he claims to represent.”
According to the Presidency, police investigations concluded that the agency was fictitious and that Matthew allegedly forged his appointment letter and other official documents while falsely presenting himself as a government appointee.
The statement said investigators searched his office in Abuja and residence in Suleja, where they allegedly recovered documents linked to the suspected fraud.
It further claimed that police discovered Matthew operated 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies, and fraudulently obtained a Central Bank of Nigeria account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Quoting the police report, the Presidency said: “The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community.”
The Presidency said Matthew and two others were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2025 on an eight-count charge, adding that the case has been adjourned until July 27 for hearing.
It also said Matthew made the latest allegations against the Chief of Staff while on police bail and that the claims contradicted the statement he had earlier made to investigators.
“His new claim prompted the Chief of Staff, on June 8, to issue a disclaimer consistent with earlier advisories that the man, called Adeyemi, is an impostor,” the statement added.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from drawing conclusions before the court determines the matter.
“Politicians and members of the public who are weaponising Adeyemi’s claim against the Chief of Staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative hook, line and sinker. They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgment, as comments made today are sub judice,” the statement concluded.
