•Adeniyi Adeyemi
The embattled Director-General (DG) of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has claimed that he personally pursued the inclusion of the organisation in the federal government’s budget before his arrest.
Adeniyi made the claims during an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in a recording released after his arrest.
Speaking during the interview, Adeniyi said he approached officials of the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek the inclusion of the PFIPC in the 2025 Appropriation Bill but was informed that the budget preparation process had already closed, reports The Guardian.
According to him, Budget Office officials subsequently advised that the proposal could be considered during the 2026 budget cycle.
“I went to that Budget Office for the 2025 budget. I submitted the letter and everything that I wanted, but I was told it was already late,” Adeniyi said.
He added that after the proposal was not reflected in the 2025 budget, officials informed him that efforts would continue towards its possible inclusion in the 2026 appropriation.
Adeniyi further claimed that a female official facilitated access to the office of the Director-General of the Budget Office before he was referred to another director to discuss the proposal.
According to him, discussions on the matter ended following his arrest and subsequent legal troubles.
“Immediately there was a problem, everything stopped. Even the woman that wanted to help was calling because she couldn’t reach me. I told her to let everything stop,” he said.
The embattled PFIPC DG maintained that he abandoned all efforts relating to the proposed agency after his arrest and was later surprised to learn that it had reportedly appeared in the budget.
“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 when I was already facing court?” he said.
On allegations that he paid officials to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied making any cash payments, stating that he only promised possible employment opportunities if the organisation eventually became operational.
“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,” he said.
Adeniyi also addressed allegations that N400 million was paid to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate his appointment, claiming that the money was delivered in United States dollars through an associate, the late Dolapo Tanimola.
He, however, said he could not personally confirm who ultimately received the funds.
The embattled PFIPC DG further denied ever meeting the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, before or after his appointment, insisting that Tanimola handled all communications on his behalf.
“I never met Gbajabiamila physically before and after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me,” he said.
