Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, has explained how the fake agency ended up in the Federal Government’s budget even though he was arrested before the budget process was completed.
Adeniyi made the claims in an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a recording released after his arrest.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, played no role in the N1.3bn budget allocation. According to him, he personally contacted senior officials at the Budget Office to push for the agency’s inclusion.
He said the process was still ongoing before his arrest and that he was shocked to later hear the agency had appeared in the budget.
According to him, he visited the Budget Office in December 2024 to request that the agency be included in the 2025 Appropriation Bill but was told the budget process had already closed.
Adeyemi said: “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.
“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 claimed a female official helped him get into the office of the Budget Office Director-General before directing him to another director.
“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 said.
He said the director told him the proposal could not fit into the 2025 budget but promised efforts would continue for the 2026 appropriation.
“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.
Asked if he paid any Budget Office official, Adeniyi said: “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 added: “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 later.”
According to him, everything stopped after his arrest.
He said: “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.
“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 court?”
When asked if officials later inserted the agency into the budget, he replied: “I don’t know because once that problem started, everything stopped. Why would I still pursue the budget when I was already in trouble?”
On claims that he paid N400 million to secure his appointment, Adeniyi alleged the money was sent in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola, but said he could not confirm whether it got to Gbajabiamila.
Asked the currency, he replied, “Dollars.” Asked who received it, he answered, “Dolapo.”
Adeniyi also denied ever meeting Gbajabiamila before or after his appointment. He said Tanimola handled every part of the process, including the alleged payment.
“I never met Gbajabiamila physically before and after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me,” Adeniyi said.
