The Director General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, has defended the creation of the controversial body, insisting it was driven by his desire to improve Nigeria’s global image and attract foreign investment rather than for personal gain.
Speaking during a video call with social media activist Martins Otse, Matthew said the agency was established out of patriotism and a commitment to supporting the administration of Bola Tinubu.
He also denied any involvement in the reported insertion and defence of the council’s budget in the national appropriation approved by the National Assembly.
“I established that amount (rumoured N400 million) for the agency’s office out of passion for the country. I wanted to bring in foreign investors to Nigeria so that I can write my name in gold. I am just desperate to serve.
“That’s the reason I paid the money. I just want to do my part for the country. That agency was established to bring in foreign investments to Nigeria and make Nigeria a preferred destination for foreign investors.
“I walk around the inter-ministerial agencies and partner with the MDAs and EFCC to make Nigeria a preferred world destination for investments. So, it’s not about personal interest. Before this whole brouhaha, we were expecting the world to be in Nigeria through our forthcoming global summit.”
Matthew also challenged the Presidency’s position that the council never existed, questioning how it eventually appeared in the 2026 national budget.
“This whole thing is confusing especially when the Presidency said that the agency does not exist. How come? The agency that found its way into the national budget. I didn’t prepare any budget. In fact, I was in detention for 23 days when the budget for the Presidential Foreign Council was prepared and defended in the National Assembly between October and November.
“The former Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had invited me to explain how I came about the agency from the Chief of Staff to the President. I gave him the name and number of the person that facilitated the appointment letter for me. I was thereafter detained.
“How come the budget that nobody defended still found its way into the national budget? By the time I came out on November 19, 2025, I was charged to court and they said the same office space had been reallocated to another government official. So I’ve not been going to the office since that October 27.”
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Addressing the petition filed against him by Femi Gbajabiamila, Matthew said he never met with the presidential aide over the matter, although he admitted speaking with him on the phone through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
He maintained that he possesses documents supporting the establishment of the council and said he was prepared to hand them over to investigators.
“Any moment from now, I will go to the police and DSS to submit every document that I have to support the investigation. My friend (Tanimola), who paid the money for the establishment of the agency, is now dead in a fire accident in a hotel in Utako, Abuja.”
The controversy surrounding the council began after it appeared among beneficiaries in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite repeated claims by the Presidency that no such government agency existed.
The inclusion of the council in the federal budget triggered widespread criticism and raised questions about how it secured an allocation despite lacking official recognition.
The Presidency later insisted that President Tinubu neither approved the creation of the council nor appointed anyone to head it.
Following the development, Gbajabiamila petitioned security agencies over the alleged impersonation of the Presidency and the use of documents linked to the council, prompting investigations by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.
Matthew was subsequently arrested, detained and arraigned on allegations including forgery and impersonation. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that every document in his possession was lawfully obtained.
As scrutiny over the budget allocation intensified, President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate how the council was included in the 2026 budget despite not being recognised by the Federal Government.
The President also ordered that anyone found responsible for the controversial budget insertion should be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.