Deep State Or Simple Negligence? Presidency Sources Expose Vetting Failures Behind PFIPC Scandal.

According to sources within the Presidency and the civil service, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal was facilitated by a combination of forged documentation and significant failures in due diligence across several government institutions.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Role of Forgery and Bureaucratic Lapses

• A Forged Foundation: The central element of the fraud was a fraudulent appointment letter that falsely bore the signature of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

• Misunderstanding Protocol: Presidency officials noted that this letter should have been immediately identified as invalid because the Chief of Staff does not possess the authority to make such appointments. Under standard government procedure, presidential appointments are approved via memo, and the official appointment letter is issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

• Exploiting Loopholes: Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew allegedly used this fake letter to secure an office at the Federal Secretariat. Because the President’s internal directives are not typically attached to such requests, civil servants accepted the forged document at face value, creating a “loophole” that granted the entity an unearned air of legitimacy.

Institutional Failures and Discovery

• Failed Due Diligence: Sources indicated that multiple institutions—including the House of Representatives, the Head of Service, and the Budget Office—failed to perform the necessary background checks that would have uncovered the forgery.

• The Appearance of Legitimacy: Securing physical office space at the Federal Secretariat allowed the entity to host guests and operate with a letterhead and website, which further misled both the public and government officials.

• Detection and Legal Action: The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) first flagged the issue in October 2025 after noticing the fake council was encroaching on their mandate. Upon being alerted, the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, denied any knowledge of the individual and initiated the involvement of the Department of State Services (DSS), which led to Adeniyi’s arraignment.

• Budgetary Concerns: Regarding the ₦1.3 billion budget allocation, officials believe that because Adeyemi had successfully established the appearance of a legitimate government organization, he was able to lobby individuals within the National Assembly to include the agency in the budget.