The Presidency has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointed Adeniyi Matthew as the Director-General of a so-called Presidential Economic Advisory Council, describing both the appointment and the agency as completely fictitious.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the claims were false and urged Nigerians not to be misled by narratives surrounding the ongoing court case.
According to Onanuga, concerns first emerged after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) alerted the Presidency that another organization appeared to be operating in a manner that conflicted with its official responsibilities.
The development prompted the Office of the Chief of Staff to investigate the activities of individuals allegedly presenting themselves as representatives of a federal government agency.
The statement revealed that on October 17, 2025, Gbajabiamila formally petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, requesting an investigation into forged appointment letters allegedly linked to his office.
Part of the letter read:
“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office.”
The Presidency said the forged documents bore fake signatures, seals, and reference numbers and were allegedly used to create the impression that appointments had been made to non-existent government agencies, particularly the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
According to the statement, Matthew and his associates allegedly operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where they reportedly held meetings with Nigerian and foreign officials, presenting themselves as a legitimate government agency.
Investigators also alleged that Matthew requested a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate U.S. visa applications for some members of his team.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry had reportedly raised concerns after Matthew allegedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments without involving the ministry.
Responding to the claims, Gbajabiamila maintained that he never appointed Matthew and stressed that the Office of the Chief of Staff has no authority to make such appointments.
“Prince Adeniyi Matthew, Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office, nor do we have any dealings with the said council.”
Matthew was arrested in Abuja on October 27, 2025, after which police searched his office and residence in Suleja, recovering documents connected to the investigation.
According to investigators, Matthew claimed that one Dolapo Tanimola helped him obtain the alleged appointment letter. However, police later discovered that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel, Abuja, five days before Matthew’s arrest.
Investigators further alleged that Matthew used forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account after misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Police also claimed he operated 34 bank accounts, with nine allegedly linked to agencies investigators described as non-existent.
The police concluded that the alleged actions amounted to forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence. Then they filed an eight-count charge against Matthew and two others at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.
The matter is scheduled to come up in court on July 27.
The Presidency noted that Matthew has continued to publicly claim the Chief of Staff appointed him despite statements he allegedly made during the investigation.
Onanuga urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from amplifying those claims while the matter remains before the court.
“Politicians and members of the public who are weaponising Adeyemi’s claim against the Chief of Staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative. They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgement,” he said.
