- A video of Adeyemi defending the alleged agency has resurfaced online
- He questioned how the council appeared in the federal budget
- The Presidency insists the agency is fictitious and the case is before the court
A video featuring Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the man at the centre of the alleged ₦1.3 billion ghost agency scandal, resurfaced online on Monday, reigniting public debate over the controversial case.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the footage, recorded during a press briefing in June 2026, captured Adeyemi defending his claim to the leadership of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council while disputing the Presidency’s position that the organisation does not exist.
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During the briefing, Adeyemi questioned how an agency described as fictitious by the Federal Government could appear in official budget documents approved through the country’s budget process.
He argued that the national budget passes through several stages of preparation, review and legislative approval, making it difficult for a non-existent agency to be included without scrutiny.
According to him, the presence of the council in official records raises concerns about the integrity of the budget preparation and approval process.
Adeyemi also claimed that the organisation operated several accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, including domiciliary, pounds sterling and Treasury Single Account facilities.
He questioned how such accounts could allegedly be opened if the agency truly lacked legal existence.
In addition, Adeyemi accused the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of demanding a large portion of the council’s proposed ₦27.4 billion take-off grant, an allegation the Presidency has consistently rejected.
The Presidency has maintained that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal status.
Government officials also accused Adeyemi of forging official documents, including appointment letters allegedly bearing the names and signatures of senior government officials, to present himself as the Director General of the purported agency.
Authorities further alleged that he operated from an office within Phase III of the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, where he reportedly held meetings with diplomats, investors, government officials and members of the public while claiming to represent the Federal Government.
The controversy intensified after reports indicated that an entity identified as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council received more than ₦1.3 billion in allocations under the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The reported allocation included about ₦803 million for personnel costs, ₦200 million for overhead expenses and ₦300 million for capital projects, prompting widespread questions about the budget process.
Adeyemi is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on an eight-count charge involving alleged forgery, impersonation, false representation and operating a fictitious government agency.
While the Presidency insists the matter should be left to the court, Adeyemi has continued to deny the allegations, maintaining that he is not an impostor and expressing confidence that the judicial process will determine the facts of the case.
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