The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to an alleged N400 million appointment-for-cash scandal, describing his accuser as an impostor facing criminal prosecution.
The Presidency said the allegations made by one Adeniyi Matthew, who claimed to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, were false and intended to mislead the public.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency maintained that security agencies had been investigating Matthew since October 2025 over alleged forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
Matthew had alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded N27.4 billion from the take-off grant of a purported government agency and received N400 million through intermediaries to facilitate his appointment as director-general, while insisting an outstanding N200 million triggered disagreements between them.
He also alleged that attempts had been made on his life and called for an independent investigation into the claims, urging Gbajabiamila to step aside pending the outcome of the probe.
However, the Presidency said the allegations lacked credibility, insisting that Matthew was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the agency he claimed to head did not exist.
According to the statement, the Office of the Chief of Staff had petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force after discovering forged appointment letters and other official documents purportedly issued from the office.
“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 petition quoted Gbajabiamila as saying.
It added that the alleged forgery undermined the integrity of the Presidency and warranted a thorough investigation to identify those responsible.
The Presidency further disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns after Matthew allegedly convened a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge.
It said enquiries by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation also prompted Gbajabiamila to formally disclaim both Matthew and the purported agency.
In his response, the Chief of Staff reportedly stated that neither Matthew nor the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council was recognised by his office.
“My attention was drawn to a letter of this purported application, which is fake, and my office has instructed the police and other relevant security agencies to carry out investigations on the person and the entity he claims to represent,” Gbajabiamila was quoted as saying.
The Presidency said police investigations established that Matthew forged his appointment letter and other official documents while falsely presenting himself as a presidential appointee.
It added that searches conducted at his Abuja office and Suleja residence led to the recovery of documents allegedly linked to the fraud.
According to the statement, investigators also uncovered 34 bank accounts allegedly operated by Matthew, including nine opened in the names of fictitious agencies, as well as a Central Bank of Nigeria account allegedly obtained through false representations to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The Presidency said Matthew and two others were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2025 on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery and related offences, adding that the case has been fixed for hearing on July 27.
It noted that Matthew’s latest allegations against Gbajabiamila were made while he was on police bail and contradicted statements he had earlier made to investigators.
The Presidency therefore urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from drawing conclusions on the matter, stressing that the allegations were already the subject of pending court proceedings.
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