Presidency Clears Gbajabiamila, Brands Accuser an Impostor

The Presidency has dismissed allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to an alleged appointment-for-cash scandal, describing his accuser, Adeniyi Matthew, as an impostor who is already facing criminal prosecution over alleged forgery and impersonation.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the allegations against the Chief of Staff were baseless and fabricated, insisting that neither Matthew nor the organisation he claimed to represent had any official recognition from the Federal Government.

The rebuttal followed claims by Matthew, who identified himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, that Gbajabiamila demanded N27.4 billion from the take-off grant of the purported agency and collected N400 million through intermediaries to facilitate his appointment.

Matthew also alleged that disagreements over an outstanding N200 million balance led to threats against his life and called for an independent investigation into the matter. He urged the Chief of Staff to step aside while the allegations were being investigated and requested that the probe involve civil society organisations and international observers.

However, the Presidency said the allegations were the latest in a series of false claims by a man who had been under investigation by security agencies since last year.

According to Onanuga, the Office of the Chief of Staff petitioned both the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 after discovering that forged appointment letters purportedly issued from the office were in circulation.

“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 Chief of Staff stated in the petition.

The petition described the alleged forgery as a serious criminal act capable of undermining the credibility of the Presidency and eroding public confidence in official government communications.

“The above development not only constitutes a serious criminal act but also undermines the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communication.

“I therefore urge you to initiate a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those involved and also to uncover the network facilitating the forgery,” the petition added.

The Presidency disclosed that the investigation widened after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns over Matthew’s activities, following reports that he convened a meeting with ambassadors in Abuja without notifying or obtaining approval from the ministry.

It said enquiries from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation regarding the status of the purported agency prompted Gbajabiamila to issue a formal clarification.

Responding to the requests, the Chief of Staff categorically denied appointing Matthew or recognising the so-called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

“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,” Gbajabiamila said.

“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.”

According to the Presidency, police investigations subsequently established that the agency was fictitious and that Matthew allegedly forged his appointment letter and other official documents while falsely presenting himself as a government appointee.

Investigators were also said to have searched his office in Abuja and residence in Suleja, where they reportedly recovered documents believed to be connected to the alleged fraud.

The statement further claimed that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Matthew, including nine allegedly opened in the names of non-existent government agencies.

It added that the suspect also fraudulently opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by allegedly misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Quoting the police investigation report, the Presidency said Matthew’s actions amounted to criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

“The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community,” the report stated.

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, impersonation and related offences.

According to the statement, the case has been adjourned until July 27, 2026, for further hearing.

It also noted that Matthew’s latest allegations against Gbajabiamila were made while he was on police bail and contradicted the statement he had earlier made to investigators.

Onanuga said the fresh claims prompted the Chief of Staff to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, reiterating that Matthew had no relationship with his office and that the agency he purported to head did not exist.

The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to exercise restraint and avoid amplifying allegations that are already the subject of ongoing court proceedings.

It advised Nigerians to allow the judicial process to determine the issues, stressing that comments capable of prejudicing the case should be avoided while the matter remains before the court.

The Presidency maintained that the allegations against the Chief of Staff lacked credibility and should not distract from the criminal proceedings already instituted against Matthew and his co-defendants.