‘Fake’ DG Insists Appointment Was Genuine, Says Court Will Clear His Name
By Nafiu Muhammad Lema
Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is facing trial over alleged forgery, impersonation and conspiracy, has maintained that his appointment as Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) was legitimate.
Speaking during a telephone interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adeyemi said he was prepared to allow the court determine the matter, insisting he had nothing to hide.
“If I am wrong, let the court of law do that; if I am right, let the court of law do the right thing… I am ready to clear my name. Let the court take its course,” he said.
Adeyemi also disclosed that he possessed a letter of appointment but declined to provide further details because the matter is already before the court.
“I have a letter of appointment. However, since the matter is in court, I won’t be able to say much about it. I am on medication… I am sick,” he added.
Rejecting allegations of criminal conduct, Adeyemi stated that he was innocent and confident justice would prevail.
“No, I am not a criminal. However, the court will do justice to that,” he said.
He also questioned claims by the Presidency that the agency never existed, arguing that no one could have openly engaged with government institutions for years without official backing.
“Would I have the audacity to be going all over the country, meeting heads of ministries, departments and agencies if I knew the agency did not exist? Nigeria is not a banana republic,” he said.
The Presidency had earlier dismissed Adeyemi’s claims, describing him as an impostor who allegedly forged a presidential appointment letter and operated a fictitious government agency.
According to the Presidency, police investigations led to his arrest in October 2025 after a petition by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Authorities alleged that Adeyemi forged official documents, operated the fake agency and maintained multiple bank accounts linked to non-existent government bodies.
The Federal High Court in Abuja is currently hearing an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two others bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. The case is scheduled to resume on July 27, 2026.
Before the Presidency’s response, Adeyemi had accused the Chief of Staff of demanding ₦27.4 billion, allegedly representing 48 per cent of the agency’s proposed take-off grant, and claimed that ₦400 million was paid through a proxy to facilitate his appointment. He has called on President Bola Tinubu to set up an independent panel to investigate the allegations and urged the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of the probe.
GaskiyaCast reports that the case remains before the court, where both the allegations by the Presidency and Adeyemi’s claims are yet to be judicially determined.
