THE embattled Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has claimed that he personally lobbied officials at the Budget Office to facilitate the inclusion of the controversial agency in the 2026 Federal Government budget.
News Point Nigeria reports that 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 by security agencies.
The alleged agency, whose authenticity is currently under investigation, was controversially allocated about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, despite questions surrounding its legal status.
During the interview, Adeniyi absolved the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any responsibility for the budgetary allocation, insisting that he had never met him physically before or after his appointment.
Adeniyi, who described himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, said he initially approached the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek the agency’s inclusion in the 2025 budget.
“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.
According to him, officials at the Budget Office later informed him that his proposal would instead be considered for the 2026 budget cycle.
“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 helped him gain 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 stated.
When asked whether he offered money to any official to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied making any payments, insisting that he only promised to assist with employment opportunities if the agency eventually commenced operations.
“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,” he said.
Adeniyi further claimed that his subsequent arrest halted all discussions relating to the proposed agency and expressed surprise when he later discovered that the organisation had been included in the 2026 budget.
“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?” he said.
Asked whether officials at the Budget Office could have inserted the agency into the budget after his arrest, Adeniyi said he had no explanation.
“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 added.
The embattled official also addressed allegations that he paid ₦400 million to secure his purported appointment, claiming that the money was delivered in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
“Dollars,” he replied when asked about the denomination of the money.
When further asked who received the funds, Adeniyi responded: “Dolapo.”
He, however, maintained that he had never met the President’s Chief of Staff.
“I never met Gbajabiamila physically before and after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me,” he said.
In the caption accompanying the interview, VeryDarkMan called for a comprehensive investigation into the Budget Office and other government institutions, arguing that Adeniyi should not be the only individual held accountable if his allegations are eventually proven to be true.
News Point Nigeria gathered that the claims made by Adeniyi during the interview have not been independently verified, while the officials and institutions mentioned are yet to publicly respond to the latest allegations.
This newspaper had earlier reported that Adeniyi allegedly operated a fictitious government agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, presenting himself as its Director-General while allegedly using forged government documents and operating from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
It was further alleged that the appointment letter upon which he relied was forged and falsely attributed to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Security agencies subsequently arrested and charged him with offences including forgery and impersonation.
Despite the agency having no legal backing, it later appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of about ₦1.3 billion, triggering public outrage and renewed calls for an investigation into Nigeria’s budgetary process.
The Presidency has consistently described Adeniyi as an impostor and has repeatedly distanced the Federal Government from the alleged organisation.