The Arewa Youths Merger Group, APC, has thrown its full support behind the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and demanded the immediate investigation and prosecution of one Adeyemi Adeyini Matthew for allegedly parading himself as the Director-General of a bogus agency, the *Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC.

The group described the scandal as a deliberate political plot to defame the Presidency, embarrass the Federal Government, and undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking after a meeting with the Chief of Staff at the Presidential Villa, the National Coordinator of the Arewa Youths Merger Group said it was the Presidency itself that uncovered the fraud and directed the EFCC and ICPC to investigate those behind it.

According to him, Adeyemi Adeyini Matthew has been moving around the country claiming to be the DG of PFIPC, an agency with no gazette, no law, and no approval from the Federal Government.

“He has been issuing fake appointment letters, fake ID cards, and collecting money from unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of recruitment, contracts, and foreign intervention projects. He is using the name of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency to give the scam credibility,” he alleged.

The group called on security agencies to arrest Adeyemi Adeyini Matthew and compel him to produce any genuine appointment letter from the President. “Nothing of such exists. PFIPC is a complete fraud,” it stated.

The Arewa Youths Merger Group said the attack on Gbajabiamila is part of a wider plot by some politicians to damage Nigeria’s reputation internationally and weaken the Tinubu administration.

“President Tinubu set up an economic team to block loopholes used in stealing public funds. He is the first President to openly expose how stamp duty funds were diverted and how irregularities at NNPCL were used to put pressure on Nigerians,” the group said.

It referenced ongoing corruption cases including a former Minister of Aviation accused of repainting a leased aircraft and presenting it as new, a former Minister, Suleiman Mamman and the alleged diversion of billions meant for the Mambilla Hydro Power Project, as well as cases involving former Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele.

The group added that fraudsters are now colluding with some elements in the National Assembly and some bad staff within the Presidency. It said the removal of fuel subsidy was President Tinubu’s move to stop the racketeering done in the name of subsidy, which never benefited ordinary Nigerians.

The group linked the campaign against Gbajabiamila to religion and region, noting that most senior staff in the Presidency are Muslims and that Gbajabiamila is married to a Northerner.

“The aim is to tarnish his image, force him out, and break the South-Arewa alliance that produced the APC and brought President Tinubu to power,” it alleged.

The Arewa Youths Merger Group said it stands firmly with Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and will continue to defend his integrity.

It recalled supporting him during his bid to become Speaker in the 8th Assembly, his emergence as Speaker in the 9th Assembly, and his appointment as Chief of Staff.

Drawing lessons from the Buhari administration, the group said targeting the Chief of Staff, as was done to the late Abba Kyari, only weakens government.

“75% of presidential functions run through the Office of the Chief of Staff. How can the same person responsible for coordinating government be the one to create PFIPC to destroy that same government? If there is a problem, he will be the first to be blamed,” the group queried.

It alleged that some journalists, social media influencers and bloggers are being used to spread false narratives to “break the President’s spinal cord” ahead of 2027.

The group urged the EFCC, ICPC and other security agencies to conclude investigations and prosecute Adeyemi Adeyini Matthew and his accomplices.

It said it remains committed to defending the South-Arewa alliance and ensuring peace, unity and development under the Tinubu administration.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal Government has denied the allegation that it spent more than ₦8 trillion outside the 2026 budget, asking those who believe this to show evidence.

This follows comments by IMF Resident Representative in Nigeria, Christian Ebeke, who said about two per cent of Nigeria’s GDP was spent outside the budget in 2025, making the country’s fiscal deficit appear smaller than its actual borrowing requirements.

The IMF official said the discrepancy suggested that the government’s financing needs were higher than reflected in official budget figures.

The comment had stirred reactions from opposition leaders, civil society groups and critics of the Tinubu administration.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the off-budget spending allegation.

Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), demanded the resignation of the President.

But in a statement issued on Sunday, the Federal Ministry of Finance said reports suggesting that about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product was spent through a “shadow budget” lacked evidence.

The statement personally signed by Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance, said the comments of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) official was misrepresented.

Oyedele emphasised that the Federal Government does not operate any unofficial budget, arguing that all withdrawals and spending of public funds were authorised through Appropriation Acts, Supplementary Appropriation Acts and other laws passed by the National Assembly.

He clarified some capital projects extend across multiple budget cycles and are implemented through approved rollover provisions, adding that such expenditures should not be interpreted as spending outside the budget.

“The Federal Government has noted recent public commentary alleging that approximately two percent of GDP amounting to over ₦8 trillion was spent outside the approved budget based on references to the IMF Representative in Nigeria and the Fund’s 2026 Article IV Consultation Report. These claims are incorrect and risk misleading the public regarding the government’s financial management.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government does not operate a “shadow budget” or expend public funds outside the constitutional and statutory framework established for public finance.

“Under Sections 80 – 83 and 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), public funds may only be withdrawn and expended in accordance with the Constitution and laws enacted by the National Assembly. Accordingly, Federal Government expenditure is incurred pursuant to duly enacted Appropriation Acts, Supplementary Appropriation Acts, and other statutory authorities enacted by the National Assembly. In addition, multi-year capital projects which necessarily span multiple budgets are implemented in accordance with extant laws and approved provisions for capital rollovers where applicable. These are recognised features of public financial management and should not be misconstrued as expenditures outside the budget.

“It is inaccurate to suggest that trillions of naira have been secretly spent outside legislative approval. Such allegations should have identified the specific projects purportedly executed without appropriation or legal authority and present credible evidence in support of the claim. To be meaningful, assertions of this magnitude must be supported by verifiable facts rather than conjecture.

“For the purpose of public education, it is important to distinguish between appropriation, expenditure authorisation, financing, and fiscal reporting. Nigeria’s public finance framework contains several statutory transfers, first-line charges and intervention mechanisms established by Acts of the National Assembly.”

Oyedele said the Federal Government remained firmly committed to prudent fiscal management, transparency and accountability.

He added that recent reforms have significantly strengthened public financial management with ongoing improvements in budget assumptions and credibility, transparent revenue administration, digitalisation of government financial processes, and stronger treasury management.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Presidential Candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has renewed his demand for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign.

This time around, he argued that the latest disclosure by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Nigeria’s off-budget expenditure has reinforced concerns over accountability, corruption and fiscal management under the current administration.

Obi, in a statement issued on Sunday, hinged his renewed call on the IMF’s recent disclosure that public expenditure equivalent to about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2025 was not captured in the country’s budget.

According to him, the reported expenditure, which he put at about N8.83 trillion, was undertaken outside the approved budgetary framework and therefore escaped legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny.

Describing the development as “horrible,” Obi argued that the amount represented more than one-third of the country’s 2025 capital expenditure budget of N23.96 trillion.

He further said the figure also exceeded the combined allocations to the education and health sectors in the current fiscal year.

“The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget. This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore not under legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. This is horrible,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor maintained that prudent deployment of such resources could have significantly improved healthcare, education, job creation and industrial development across the country.

Instead, he alleged that the revelation reflected a recurring pattern of financial mismanagement.

“This is not an isolated incident. This is a pattern of grand corruption that has become part of this administration,” he stated.

Obi also argued that persistent disregard for established public finance procedures poses serious risks to national security, institutional stability and economic development.

He accused the administration of failing to prioritise the welfare of citizens despite worsening poverty and infrastructure deficits.

According to him, a government committed to improving living conditions would ensure that resources of such magnitude were transparently managed and channelled towards critical sectors.

The opposition figure said the latest disclosure further justified his earlier demand that Tinubu should vacate office.

He recalled that his previous call for the President’s resignation was based on “incompetence, failure to fulfil campaign promises and inability to address insecurity and economic hardship”.

Obi said subsequent developments, particularly the IMF’s disclosure, had strengthened his conviction that the administration had failed in its responsibilities.

“With the daily revelations of pervasive corruption in this administration and its total lack of commitment to the welfare and security of Nigerian citizens, the only reasonable action is for President Tinubu to resign from office,” he said.

He further urged Nigerians to lawfully demand greater accountability from those in government, insisting that public institutions must not allow due process in fiscal management to collapse.

The renewed criticism follows comments by IMF Resident Representative in Nigeria, Christian Ebeke, who said last Wednesday that about two per cent of Nigeria’s GDP was spent outside the budget in 2025, making the country’s fiscal deficit appear smaller than its actual borrowing requirements.

The IMF official said the discrepancy suggested that the government’s financing needs were higher than reflected in official budget figures.

Obi’s latest intervention also comes a day after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the off-budget spending allegation.