The Presidency has dismissed allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to a purported forged appointment into a non-existent federal agency, insisting that he played no role in the alleged scheme.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who described claims that Gbajabiamila appointed Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as head of a fictitious presidential council as false and baseless.
According to the Presidency, there is no record in the Office of the Chief of Staff showing that Gbajabiamila issued an appointment letter or approved the establishment of the alleged agency.
Presidency dismisses allegations
The statement said the controversy stemmed from the activities of Adeyemi, who allegedly created and operated a fake organisation known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council while falsely presenting himself as the head of the body.
It explained that government agencies became suspicious after the group reportedly held meetings with foreign diplomats and attempted to secure diplomatic documentation for visa-related purposes.
The Presidency stressed that the Office of the Chief of Staff does not have the constitutional or administrative authority to appoint heads of government agencies, noting that such responsibilities rest with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Security agencies investigate suspect
According to the statement, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force were directed to investigate the activities of those allegedly involved in forging presidential documents.
Investigators reportedly recovered forged appointment letters, official seals and correspondence allegedly used to create legitimacy for the fictitious council.
The Presidency added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also raised concerns after the suspect allegedly held meetings with ambassadors and other foreign representatives without official authorisation or compliance with diplomatic protocols.
Police investigations further revealed that Adeyemi allegedly operated multiple bank accounts linked to fabricated organisations and used forged documents in attempts to legitimise his activities.
Presidency urges public to allow legal process
The statement said the suspect was arrested in Abuja and later charged alongside two other individuals after investigators concluded that the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council had no legal existence within the Federal Government.
Reaffirming Gbajabiamila’s innocence, the Presidency maintained that there was no evidence connecting the Chief of Staff to the alleged fraudulent activities and described attempts to implicate him as misleading.
It urged Nigerians to refrain from speculation, noting that the matter is already before a competent court and that the judicial process should be allowed to run its full course.