The Director General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has claimed he was shocked to discover the alleged agency appeared in the Federal Government’s budget despite his arrest before the appropriation process was concluded.
Adeniyi made the revelation in an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a video released after his arrest.
He insisted that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had no role in the controversial ₦1.3 billion budgetary allocation, saying he personally lobbied officials at the Budget Office to secure the agency’s inclusion.
According to him, he first approached the Budget Office in December 2024 in an attempt to have the council included in the 2025 Appropriation Bill, but was informed that the budget process had already closed.
Full List: Messi, Mbappé, Rodri Among FIFA World Cup 2026 Award Winners
“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.
Adeniyi said officials later advised him that the proposal could instead be considered for the 2026 budget.
“When the 2025 budget came out and I didn’t see it, they told me it would now be for the 2026 budget. We kept in touch because they said it would be considered later,” he stated.
He claimed that a female Budget Office official facilitated his access to the Director General of the agency before he was referred to another senior official.
According to him, the Budget Office boss jokingly demanded “shini”—a slang term for gratification—but he told him he had nothing to offer.
“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,” Adeniyi said.
He said the director informed him that the proposal could no longer be accommodated in the 2025 budget but assured him efforts would continue towards the following year’s appropriation.
Adeniyi denied paying any Budget Office official to facilitate the process, insisting that no money exchanged hands.
“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,” he said.
He admitted promising future employment opportunities to some officials but maintained that the promise never translated into any financial inducement.
According to him, all efforts regarding the proposed agency ended after his arrest.
“Immediately there was a problem, everything stopped. Even the woman that wanted to help was calling because she couldn’t reach me. I told her to let everything stop,” he said.
Adeniyi said he was therefore stunned when reports later emerged that the agency had been captured in the Federal Government’s budget.
“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 when I was already facing the court?” he asked.
When asked whether Budget Office officials may have inserted the agency into the budget after his arrest, he 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.
Adeniyi also addressed allegations that he paid ₦400 million to facilitate his appointment, claiming the money was delivered in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
However, he said he could not confirm whether the money eventually got to Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila.
Asked who received the money, he replied, “Dolapo.”
Appeal Court Upholds INEC’s Powers to Set 2027 Election Timetable
‘The Rescue Came With Sacrifices’ — Makinde Reveals Soldiers Died Saving Oyo Pupils
He further declared that he had never met Gbajabiamila physically, either before or after his appointment, insisting that all dealings were handled by Tanimola.
“I never met Gbajabiamila physically before and after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me,” he said.
The interview comes amid ongoing controversy over the alleged inclusion of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in the Federal Government’s budget, despite claims that the agency has no legal existence. The revelations have intensified calls for a thorough investigation into how the proposed agency found its way into the national appropriation process.
