CONTROVERSY- Gbajabiamila Must Explain ‘Ghost Agency’ in 2026 Budget, Step Aside for Probe — Prince Adeniyi

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Gbajabiamila Must Explain ‘Ghost Agency’ in 2026 Budget, Step Aside for Probe — Prince Adeniyi

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Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has accused Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, of making contradictory claims over the alleged existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), challenging the Presidency to institute an independent investigation into the matter.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Adeniyi insisted that Gbajabiamila’s public disclaimer distancing the Presidency from the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) had raised more questions than answers.

He argued that if the agency truly did not exist, its inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation Act would amount to a grave breach of the nation’s budgetary process.

According to him, “If the agency does not exist, then how did its name appear in the 2026 appropriation budget? If a non-existent agency made its way into the national budget, it raises serious questions about the integrity of the entire budget process.”

Adeniyi contended that the preparation and approval of the federal budget involves extensive scrutiny by the executive, the Budget Office, ministries, departments, agencies, and the National Assembly, making it difficult for a fictitious agency to be inserted unnoticed.

He further questioned the implication of the alleged agency maintaining accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and operating from an office within the Federal Secretariat, saying such developments would have required approvals from several government institutions.

The former appointee also rejected what he described as attempts to portray him as a fraudulent actor, maintaining that he would not be intimidated into silence.

In one of the most explosive allegations at the briefing, Adeniyi claimed that his disagreement with the Chief of Staff stemmed from an alleged demand for 48 per cent of a proposed take-off grant for the agency, an allegation for which he did not present documentary evidence during the press conference.

He also alleged that N400 million was collected “by proxy” in connection with securing the appointment, while claiming an outstanding balance of N200 million remained.

Adeniyi further alleged that there had been attempts to use security agencies against him and claimed he had survived multiple assassination attempts.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately constitute an independent investigative panel to examine the issues surrounding the disputed agency, review relevant budgetary documents, investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of one Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as an intermediary, probe alleged attacks on his life, and conduct a forensic examination of official documents signed by the Chief of Staff.

He also urged that Gbajabiamila should step aside while the investigation is ongoing to ensure transparency.

“The purpose is clarity, not denial versus counter-denial. If I am wrong, let an independent process prove it. If the Chief of Staff is right, let the investigation confirm it,” he said.

Adeniyi appealed to civil society organisations, the media, religious and traditional institutions to support calls for an impartial investigation, insisting that only a transparent inquiry would restore public confidence.

The Chief of Staff has previously denied any connection with the PFIPC and PEAC, maintaining that the bodies are not recognised agencies of the Federal Government. At the time of filing this report, there was no immediate response from the Presidency to the fresh allegations made by Adeniyi at the press conference.

Full text of Prince Adeniyi’s press conference:

FULL TEXT OF ADDRESS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRINCE ADENIYI ADEYEMI MATTHEW 25/06/2026

My dearest fellow Nigerians,
Relentless members of the Press,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I welcome you today not out of convenience, but out of necessity. I stand before you today under a cloud of public misrepresentation, institutional denial, and deliberate attempts to silence legitimate questions that concern matters of national interest.

Firstly, let me wish Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila a happy birthday. I’m aware today is his birthday. This press conference is also a birthday gift to him. While celebrating, he should remember that Nigerians are waiting for him to tell the truth about what he knows about Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

Let me be clear from the beginning: I will not be intimidated because intimidation I condone not. I will not be discredited without response because you cannot beat a child and expect him/her not to cry, when pain is inflicted, a response is inevitable. And I will not allow my name to be used as a convenient shield in a matter that Nigerians deserve full transparency on.

I will rather die as a MAN than to live as a COWARD !!!

On 11th June 2026, Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila issued a disclaimer distancing the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President from Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), alongside the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

My name has been drawn into this storm.

I reject outright any attempt to reduce this matter to simple denials without addressing the core questions that Nigerians are now asking.

The issue is no longer about personalities. It is about contradictions that demand answers.

This claim of Chief of Staff to the President, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila that he doesn’t know about the existence of the Agency is derisory because in the real world, he should cover his face in shame.

If Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, who is supposed to be the Chief of Staff to the President and also the administrative gateway to the Presidency, can make such an administrative error, by allowing the president to sign a document with fake agency in it, he should possibly resign his appointment nowwwwwww…….

Let’s assume for one second that all what the chief of staff published were right, that the agency does not exist. Then how did the agency’s name get into the 2026 appropriation budget pages 50 and 51?

If the agency does not exist, yet found its way into the Nigerian national budget, what that means is that the entire 2026 appropriation budget is a fraud and should be discarded.

What the chief of staff to the president is now saying by his denial published in various national dailies is that our 109 Distinguished Senators, where we have seasoned administrators, former Governors and diverse professional experts are INCOMPETENT not to have discovered the fake Agency in the National Budget. What It means is that Our 360 reps members of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are rubber stamped, as they are being speculated.

This is not an emotional question. It is a procedural one.

Because the national budget does not emerge in isolation. It passes through multiple layers of technical drafting, executive coordination, ministerial inputs, budget office review, and finally legislative scrutiny by both chambers of the National Assembly where COS has meritoriously served for good 20 Years and rose from Minority to Majority leaders and Speaker for 4 years.

So the question becomes unavoidable: at what point in this process did references to non-existent Agency allegedly enter the official record?

And if they are indeed present in official documentation, what does that imply about the integrity of the process that produced and approved those documents?

For President Bola Tinubu to append his signature to a budget that includes a non-existing agency according to his chief of staff, is an embarrassment to this hardworking government.

My distinguished media practitioners, why do questions persist regarding administrative processes, budgetary lines, and institutional communications allegedly connected to this Agency if it doesn’t exist? The same acclaimed non-existent Agency has domiciliary account, pounds account and Treasury Single Account all domiciled in Central Bank of Nigeria. So, what COS is telling Nigerians is that the CBN Governor with His pedigree together with his 4 deputies, 16 capable directors and 5,300 staffs are clueless to not have detected a fraudulent document for opening of account? Is it even possible to open an account with fictitious documents in a commercial bank in Nigeria today, talk less of the CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA? Please note that the process of opening an account with CBN starts from Office of Accountant General of the Federation. Therefore, COS is telling The Accountant General of the Federation who possesses necessary qualifications and experience of 30 years, his pool of Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and other Professional experts in his office ARE SIT DOWN LOOK CIVIL SERVANTS not to have detected forged documents?

Chaiiiiiii………O ma se ooooooooooooo….. Eni agboju okun le, ko jo ani agba.

Fellow Nigerians, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has brought shame and disrepute to the Civil Service by telling us that The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation of Nigeria who graciously approved 314 staffs to the said non existent agency is INCOMPETENT with her 94,511 staffs?

How did the Agency get an office space at the Federal Secretariat and operate for over a year? Abi SGF Office with 6 Permanent Secretaries and numerous Directors are driven by pot of soups?

These are not trivial matters but questions at the sensitivity of governance, accountability, and public trust.

I am also compelled to address the attempt by the chief of staff to frame me as a fraudulent actor in this matter. That portrayal is not only false but deeply damaging to my person and reputation.

It has been alleged in certain quarters that there were attempts or considerations by the chief of staff to use security institutions in Nigeria to frame my diplomatic engagements as espionage or disloyalty. I categorically reject any attempt to criminalize lawful activity.

Now I want to put this out for clarity’s sake: the major rationale behind the disagreement between myself and the Chief of Staff is because he allegedly requested 48% of the take-off grant (#27,395,510,136) from the same agency which he denies it exists to which I rejected. After he collected a total sum of 400 Million by proxy with remaining balance of 200 Million to secure the said appointment.

Is the Chief of Staff open to examine all documents and communication trails in the President’s Office? Because I asked myself what could have happened for COS to issue that disclaimer when the President has Mr. BAYO ONANUGA, CHIEF SUNDAY DARE of this world, Mr. Daniel Bwala and retinue of media aides, was he pushed to do that, is there something pursuing him or he was under the influence of substance? I think this confirmed the general notion that the President has sidelined the COS because his cup is FULL due of his unscrupulous activities.

Let it be known: silence will not resolve this matter. Only truth will.

I therefore passionately appeal to Our Father President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the immediate establishment of an independent investigative panel to:

Examine the mysterious death of Mr. Babatunde Tanimola who is the intermediary between myself and COS, who Police claimed he died through fire accident at an hotel in Utako, Abuja on 22nd of October 2025, a day after the COS petition was received by the Police.

To kindly investigate several attempted assassinations to my life especially the one that occurred on Sunday 7th September 2025 along Abuja – Kaduna Expressway where I narrowly escaped. Several belongings, vital documents were carted away including my 2 phones which consisted a lot of information. I reported the case to the Police and Department of State Security. I was told the phones were tracked to Gombe State but an insider confided to me that there was an order from the above to refrain from taking any further actions.

To compel the Chief of Staff to produce all the official documents he has signed since assumption into office for Forensic Analysis because he who alleged must prove and he who comes into equity must come with clean hands.

To compel the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of the panel because he has been using his office to intimidate people including media houses.

To review budgetary references and institutional records

Question all relevant actors

Publish findings transparently.

Such a panel should include credible civil society organizations and international organizations.

The purpose is clarity: not denial versus counter-denial.

If I am wrong, let an independent process prove it. If Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is right, let it confirm it.

To civil society, media, religious and traditional institutions: your engagement matters.

To Nigerians: focus on facts, not distractions.

Pages 50 and 51 of the 2026 appropriation budget are cited as proof.

I remain willing to cooperate fully with any lawful inquiry.

I will not accept being silenced or discredited.

Let the investigation speak. Let the documents speak. Let the truth emerge.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you all.

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew