The suspended Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, has denied ever meeting the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, in person.
Adeyemi said only an independent investigation could reveal the truth about the allegations surrounding the council.
Speaking during a phone interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi said he could not confirm whether Gbajabiamila was involved in the controversy.
He said he never had a private meeting with Gbajabiamila but claimed he spoke with someone he believed was the Chief of Staff on about three occasions through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
However, Adeyemi admitted that he could not independently confirm the identity of the person he spoke with because the conversations were not through video calls.
When asked if Gbajabiamila might not be involved in the matter, Adeyemi agreed, saying he was not in a position to say whether the Chief of Staff was lying or telling the truth.
He explained that this uncertainty was why he had called for President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the issue.
Adeyemi is currently facing trial over allegations linked to the PFIPC, which the Presidency has described as a non-existent organisation.
The case is expected to continue at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 14.
The controversy began after Adeyemi alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the council’s proposed N27.4 billion take-off grant and received N400 million related to appointments in the organisation.
Gbajabiamila has denied the allegations, saying he had no dealings with Adeyemi and has threatened legal action over the claims.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit its report within 30 days.
Adeyemi also said he planned to surrender himself to either the Nigeria Police Force or the Department of State Services.