Adeyemi Mathew: The Man At Centre Of Presidency’s Fake Agency Scandal

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has become the subject of public attention following allegations that he paraded himself as the Director-General of a government agency which the Presidency insists does not exist.

Adeyemi, who describes himself as a public administrator and investment promoter, is currently facing an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged forgery, impersonation and operation of a fictitious government agency.

Despite the charges, Adeyemi has maintained that he is the legitimate head of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an agency the Presidency has repeatedly described as non-existent.

Adeyemi came under scrutiny after claiming to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to in some documents as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

He claimed the council was set up to attract foreign investment into Nigeria and further alleged that it had offices, staff, bank accounts and official government approvals.

During a television interview, Adeyemi also alleged that he paid ₦400m to secure his appointment, a claim the Presidency has strongly denied.

The Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has maintained that the agency has no legal backing and was never created by the Federal Government.

According to the Presidency, Adeyemi allegedly forged official documents, including appointment letters bearing the names and signatures of senior government officials, to present himself as head of the council.

He was also alleged to have operated from an office inside Phase III of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he reportedly held meetings with government officials, diplomats, foreign investors and members of the public.

Investigators further alleged that he sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals linked to the purported agency.

BUDGET ALLOCATION RAISES QUESTIONS

The controversy deepened after reports indicated that an entity listed as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, or similar variations of the name, received more than ₦1.3bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

According to budget documents, the allocation included about ₦802.98m for personnel costs, ₦200m for overhead and ₦300m for capital expenditure.

The development has triggered public criticism, with many questioning how an agency the Presidency now describes as non-existent was captured in the federal budget.

Although the Presidency acknowledged the budget provision, it maintained that the PFIPC was never lawfully created or recognised under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The issue has also prompted calls by opposition figures, lawyers and civil society groups for a probe into how the agency was included in the budget despite the various approval stages involving the Budget Office, the Federal Executive Council, the National Assembly and presidential assent.

Following a petition by the Chief of Staff in October 2025, security agencies launched an investigation into the matter.

Adeyemi was arrested on October 27, 2025, while allegedly operating from the Federal Secretariat.

Police investigations reportedly uncovered several bank accounts allegedly linked to him, including accounts said to have been opened through false representations.

On November 27, 2025, the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two others before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charges include forgery, impersonation, false personation and operating a fictitious government agency.

His next court appearance has been fixed for July 27, 2026.

PAST UN AFFLITION CLAIMS RESURFACES

The latest allegations are not the first time Adeyemi has attracted public attention.

In 2016, he was widely reported to have emerged as President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations.

The claim generated media attention before the UN reportedly denied any affiliation with the organisation, raising questions over its authenticity.

The Presidency has cited the episode as evidence of what it described as a pattern of false representation.

‘I AM NOT A CON ARTISTE’

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adeyemi denied allegations that he was an impostor.

“I’m not a con artiste. Let the court decide on the matter,” he said.

He questioned the Presidency’s position, arguing that he could not have openly interacted with senior government officials if the agency did not exist.

“Let’s assume the agency does not exist. Would I have the temerity to be going all over the country meeting the heads of agencies and departments if they know that the agency does not exist or, as alleged, that I cooked everything?” he asked.

Adeyemi also pointed to his meetings with ambassadors and other government officials as evidence supporting his claim.

He admitted that he is a member of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State but denied suggestions that his alleged appointment was a political reward.

Adeyemi has publicly claimed that he attended Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke, studied at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and obtained a master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

However, those claims have not been independently verified by government authorities or major public records.

For now, the legitimacy of his claimed appointment remains the subject of a legal battle, with the Presidency insisting that the PFIPC was never established and that the matter should be determined by the court.