How I Secured N1.3bn Agency Slot in 2026 Budget — Prince Adeniyi 

Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, has claimed that he personally engaged officials at the Budget Office of the Federation to secure the inclusion of the agency in the 2026 Federal Government budget.

Adeniyi made the claim during an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, which was released on Sunday via Instagram following his arrest.

The alleged agency, whose legitimacy has been questioned, was allocated about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite ongoing investigations into its establishment and operations.

During the interview, Adeniyi denied any involvement of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, in the process, insisting that he had never met him personally.

He said his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola, handled matters relating to the agency and its engagements with relevant officials.

Adeniyi explained that he first approached the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek inclusion of the agency in the 2025 budget but was informed that the process had already closed.

“I went to that Budget Office for the 2025 budget. I submitted the letter and everything that I wanted, but I was told it was already late,” he said.

He added that officials later advised him to pursue the 2026 budget cycle, saying, “When the 2025 budget came out and I didn’t see this budget, those people that I went to then said it would now be for the 2026 budget. We kept in touch because they said it would be considered later.”

Adeniyi further claimed that a female official helped him gain access to the Director-General of the Budget Office, who later directed him to another senior official.

“She helped me to see the oga. Oga now said, ‘Where is my shini?’ I said I don’t have any shini. He later asked me to meet one director,” he alleged.

He denied paying any bribe to facilitate the agency’s inclusion in the budget, saying he only promised to provide employment opportunities if the agency became operational.

“Honestly, I did not pay any money. I didn’t pay anybody. The only thing I promised was that if I started employing people, I could help them with employment opportunities. That was the favour I promised them,” he said.

The Director-General said he was surprised that the agency eventually appeared in the 2026 budget, adding that he had already stepped away before the allocation was confirmed.

“Immediately, there was a problem; everything stopped… I didn’t even know until they said it was inside the budget. I had already left the office,” he stated.

On allegations that he paid $400 million to secure his appointment, Adeniyi confirmed that the amount was paid in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.

However, he maintained that he never met Gbajabiamila personally and denied any direct involvement by the President’s Chief of Staff.

Reacting to the interview, VeryDarkMan called for a wider investigation into the Budget Office and other government institutions, arguing that if Adeniyi’s claims are established, other individuals involved should also be held accountable.

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