Adeniyi Adeyemi, the controversial Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has denied preparing the council’s budget that was eventually captured in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Speaking during an interview with social media influencer and activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi claimed he was in police custody while the budget was being prepared and therefore could not have participated in the process.
He maintained that neither he nor anyone representing him took part in drafting or defending the agency’s proposed budget before it appeared in the national appropriation.
The 2026 Appropriation Act lists the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC)/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) under the Presidency with an allocation of N1.3 billion.
The controversy stems from the Presidency’s position that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency, alleging that Adeyemi forged official documents and falsely presented himself as the head of the organisation. The Presidential Economic Advisory Council, which was created during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, is no longer operational under the current administration.
Adeyemi, who is facing an eight-count charge involving alleged forgery and impersonation, said he was arrested by the Nigeria Police Force Monitoring Unit on October 27, 2025, following a petition concerning the agency’s activities. He stated that he remained in detention for 23 days before regaining his freedom on November 19.
According to him, his detention prevented him from taking part in the budget preparation or defence process.
He expressed surprise that the agency’s budget was included in the national budget despite what he described as the absence of any formal defence before lawmakers.
Adeyemi added that after his release, he was immediately arraigned in court and had not returned to the office, making the inclusion of the agency’s allocation in the budget even more puzzling to him.
Meanwhile, his ongoing trial has experienced several delays due to requests for adjournments by the defence, court scheduling challenges and claims of ill health.
The case was initially delayed after his legal team requested more time to study the charges. A subsequent hearing was postponed because the trial judge was attending an official judicial workshop.
Another hearing was adjourned after Adeyemi failed to appear in court due to illness, while a later sitting was also postponed after his lawyer reportedly became ill.
The matter has now been adjourned until July 14.
Amid the controversy surrounding the agency’s inclusion in the national budget, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit its findings within 30 days.
