BREAKING: ALLEGED FAKE AGENCY DG CLAIMS HE LOBBIED FOR ₦1.3BN BUDGET INSERTION

ALLEGED FAKE AGENCY DG CLAIMS HE LOBBIED FOR ₦1.3BN BUDGET INSERTION

The Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has claimed that he personally lobbied officials at the Budget Office to secure the inclusion of the controversial agency in the 2026 Federal Government budget.

Adeniyi made the allegation during an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a video released after his arrest. His claims have not been independently verified.

The alleged agency, which the Federal Government has described as non-existent, was allocated about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, raising concerns and prompting calls for a thorough investigation into Nigeria's budget process.

According to Adeniyi, he first approached the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek inclusion of the agency in the 2025 budget but was informed that the appropriation process had already closed.

He said officials later advised him that the proposal could instead be considered for the 2026 budget, adding that he maintained contact with some Budget Office personnel regarding the request.

Adeniyi further alleged that a female official facilitated a meeting with the Director-General of the Budget Office, who later referred him to another senior official. He claimed the proposal was eventually considered for the 2026 budget after it could not be accommodated in the previous fiscal year.

Responding to questions about whether he paid any government official to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied making any financial payments. He said he only promised that officials who assisted him could recommend candidates for employment if the agency became operational.

He also claimed that following his arrest, all discussions concerning the proposed agency came to an end and expressed surprise when he later discovered that the organisation had been included in the 2026 budget.

Adeniyi said he could not explain how the agency eventually appeared in the appropriation document after legal proceedings against him had already begun.

Addressing separate allegations that he paid $400 million to obtain his purported appointment, Adeniyi claimed the money was delivered in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola. He also insisted that he never met the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, either before or after his appointment, maintaining that all dealings were handled by the late associate.

In the caption accompanying the interview, VeryDarkMan called for a comprehensive investigation into the Budget Office and other relevant government institutions, arguing that if Adeniyi's allegations prove true, responsibility should not rest solely on him.

As of the time of reporting, the Budget Office, the Presidency, and other officials mentioned in the interview had not publicly responded to the latest allegations.

The Presidency has consistently maintained that Adeniyi is an impostor and has distanced the Federal Government from the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

Adeniyi is currently facing charges including forgery and impersonation after security agencies alleged that he operated the fictitious agency using forged government documents and an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

The appearance of the alleged agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite the ongoing criminal case has intensified public scrutiny and renewed calls for an independent investigation into the federal budgeting process.