Fake Agency in 2026 Budget: Adeniyi Opens Up

Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, the embattled Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, has claimed that he personally lobbied officials of 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, which has been at the centre of a major controversy over its authenticity, was allocated about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite ongoing investigations into its legal status.

During the interview, Adeniyi cleared the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any involvement in the budgetary allocation, insisting that he never met him in person before or after his appointment.

According to Adeniyi, his efforts to have the agency captured in the national budget began in December 2024 when he approached the Budget Office for inclusion in the 2025 appropriation. However, he said officials informed him that the process had already been concluded.

“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,” he said.

He explained that Budget Office officials later 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,” he added.

Adeniyi further alleged that a female official assisted him in gaining access to the Director-General of the Budget Office, who subsequently 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,” he claimed.

According to him, the director later 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 process.

“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,” he said.

When asked whether he paid any official to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied offering money, insisting that he only promised possible employment opportunities if the agency 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.

“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 also claimed that his arrest brought every effort surrounding the proposal to an end. He said he was surprised to later discover that the agency had eventually appeared in the 2026 budget despite his legal troubles.

“Immediately, there was a problem; everything stopped. Even the woman that wanted to help was calling because she couldn’t reach me because 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 officials at the Budget Office might have inserted the agency into the budget after his arrest, Adeniyi said he had no explanation for 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?” he said.

Addressing allegations that he paid ₦400 million to secure his purported appointment, Adeniyi claimed the funds were delivered in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.

“Dollars,” he replied when asked the denomination of the money.

When asked who received the money, he responded:

“Dolapo.”

Adeniyi maintained that he never had any direct contact with Gbajabiamila, insisting that every arrangement concerning his appointment was handled by Tanimola.

“I never met Gbajabiamila physically before and after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me.”

Reacting to the interview, VeryDarkMan called for a comprehensive investigation into the Budget Office and other relevant government institutions. He argued that if Adeniyi’s allegations are eventually confirmed, responsibility should not rest on him alone.

However, the allegations made during the interview have not been independently verified, while the officials and institutions mentioned are yet to publicly respond to the latest claims.

The Fake Agency Controversy

Authorities had earlier accused Adeniyi of operating a fictitious government agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, where he allegedly presented himself as its Director-General while using forged government documents and operating from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

Investigators also alleged that the appointment letter he relied upon was forged and falsely attributed to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. He was subsequently arrested by security agencies and charged with offences including forgery and impersonation.

Despite the agency having no recognised legal status, it later appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of about ₦1.3 billion, triggering widespread public outrage and renewed calls for a thorough investigation into Nigeria’s budget process.

The Presidency has consistently maintained that Adeniyi is an impostor and has repeatedly distanced the Federal Government from the alleged organisation.