Adeniyi Adeyemi has dismissed claims that he is evading law enforcement authorities, insisting that his absence from public view was prompted by concerns for his safety amid the ongoing PFIPC controversy.
Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme aired by Channels Television. Responding to suggestions that he had gone into hiding, Adeyemi said he remained willing to appear publicly but had withdrawn from the spotlight because of alleged threats to his life.
“I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger,” he said, adding that there had been several attempts on his life.
Adeyemi also repeated his allegation that he paid N400 million through a proxy to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, in a bid to secure his appointment as head of the disputed council. Asked during the interview how he obtained the money, he claimed the funds were borrowed.
“I borrowed the money for this appointment. In fact, those that I borrowed from have reported to the EFCC,” he stated.
His latest comments came just hours after he called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent panel to investigate the controversy surrounding the council, maintaining that he was prepared to defend all the allegations he had made.
The dispute centres on Adeyemi’s claim that Gbajabiamila allegedly received N400 million through a proxy and later demanded an additional N200 million to facilitate the appointment. The Presidency, however, has consistently denied the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, describing it as a fictitious entity.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga had explained that concerns about the alleged council first surfaced in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised objections over another body allegedly performing functions similar to its statutory mandate.
According to the Presidency, Gbajabiamila subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force over alleged forged appointment letters and the activities of individuals accused of impersonating government officials.
The allegations have since triggered a wider political and legal dispute, with Gbajabiamila threatening legal action against Adeyemi over claims he described as defamatory. President Tinubu has also directed that the matter be investigated.
Despite the Presidency’s position, the controversy has been fuelled by the publication of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, which lists an entity identified as the “Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” with a budgetary allocation of approximately N1.303 billion.
Adeyemi insisted that the courts should ultimately determine the truth of the matter, saying he remained prepared to submit himself to due legal process. “If I’m wrong, let the court of law do that, and if I’m right, let the court of law do that; do the right thing,” he said.
