By ABUBAKAR YUNUS Ojima-ojo
The embattled Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has said the N400m he paid to secure his appointment letter was borrowed money, and that his lenders have since petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, demanding a refund.
Adeyemi spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, weeks after he accused the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, of collecting the same N400m through a proxy to facilitate the appointment.
“I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this money from have reported to the EFCC. I borrowed this money to pay for this appointment. They have written to the EFCC, asking me to refund their money.
“So, I’m not even here to pay the money back. I borrowed this money,” he said.
Adeyemi described the government’s handling of the matter as “very, very unfortunate” and accused unnamed “actors in the government” of embarrassing him.
“Imagine the government claiming I manoeuvre the whole system. It’s unfortunate,” he said.
Asked about reports that a United States lobbying firm was helping him seek asylum, Adeyemi said he was learning of the development from media reports, like everyone else.
“I read it the way you read it. Some people call me that they are looking for me,” he said.
He said he did not know the full details, adding that he only heard updates from family and friends.
“I just ignore; because they sponsor a lot of people to bring my social media handle down. So, I don’t really know much what is going on again. I just hear from family and friends,” he said.
Adeyemi denied plans to flee the country, saying his social media accounts had been taken down and falsely linked to reports that he was preparing to leave Nigeria.
“They pulled my social media handle down, and they still reported that I was about to run away out of Nigeria. I’m still in Nigeria. I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
The PFIPC scandal broke into public view after the Presidency, in a June 11 disclaimer signed by Gbajabiamila, said no such agency existed under the Tinubu administration and described Adeyemi as an impostor.
A fuller statement issued on July 1 by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said police investigations found that Adeyemi forged a presidential appointment letter purportedly signed by Gbajabiamila, operated a fictitious government agency, and maintained 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of non-existent government bodies.
