July 8 (THEWILL) — The self-appointed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, has denied ever meeting Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, face-to-face, insisting that his only contact with the presidential aide was through three telephone conversations allegedly facilitated by a late associate.
Adeyemi made the disclosure during a 16-minute, 26-second interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VDM, from an undisclosed location.
The interview came about 72 hours after Gbajabiamila’s legal team threatened him with legal action over allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the activities of the PFIPC, a body the Presidency has repeatedly described as fictitious.
According to VDM, Adeyemi initiated the contact before the interview, prompting the activist to return the call after confirming his identity.
Opening the discussion, VDM asked whether Adeyemi had at any time met Gbajabiamila one-on-one to discuss the affairs of the council.
Responding, Adeyemi said, “No.”
Asked whether he had spoken with the Chief of Staff by telephone, Adeyemi replied: “Yes, like three times I’ve once spoken to him through my late friend, Dolapo Tanimola.”
When VDM questioned how he was certain the person on the other end of the line was Gbajabiamila, noting that the conversations were not conducted via video call and that anyone could have used the phone, Adeyemi admitted the calls were not made through video.
He also confirmed that all transactions relating to the PFIPC were conducted through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
VDM further suggested that it was possible the Chief of Staff was not involved in the alleged scheme, remarking that “If the Chief of Staff is coming to say he is not the one, it is possible. In Nigeria, anything can happen.”
Agreeing, Adeyemi responded, “Of course! Yes.”
Asked whether Gbajabiamila was telling the truth or lying in denying any involvement, Adeyemi declined to take a definitive position.
“I wouldn’t say he is lying and I wouldn’t say he is saying the truth,” he said, adding that his uncertainty informed his call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a full investigation into the matter.
The latest remarks appear to represent a significant departure from Adeyemi’s earlier allegations.
At a press conference on June 25, 2026, he accused Gbajabiamila of demanding 48 per cent of the PFIPC’s alleged N27.4 billion take-off grant and separately receiving N400 million connected to appointments into the organisation.
Gbajabiamila, through his counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), rejected the allegations, maintaining that he had never met or communicated with Adeyemi either directly or through any intermediary.
The legal team subsequently issued a 72-hour ultimatum demanding a retraction and apology, threatening a N10 billion defamation suit over allegations of bribery, murder, and other criminal conduct.
On Tuesday, President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the PFIPC controversy and submit its findings within 30 days.
Adeyemi is currently standing trial over his alleged role in operating the PFIPC, which the Presidency insists is not a recognised government agency.
The matter has been adjourned until July 14, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
During the interview, Adeyemi also disclosed that he intended to surrender himself to either the Nigeria Police Force or the Department of State Services (DSS) after speaking with VDM.
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