Ghost Agency Scandal: Why Tinubu Can’t Ignore His Chief of Staff

Nigeria’s presidency is embroiled in a scandal over a phantom agency that somehow landed a ₦1.3 billion budget and opened multiple bank accounts. At the center is Femi Gbajabiamila, President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, accused of benefiting from the scheme. Prince Adeniyi Matthew claims he paid hundreds of millions of naira in bribes to secure the agency’s leadership. The Presidency insists he is a con artist and has filed charges of forgery and impersonation against him. Yet evidence shows the so-called agency operated from official government offices and even held meetings with regulators and diplomats. Political pressure is mounting for an independent probe or suspension. Opposition figures and civil society are questioning whether proximity to power shields officials from accountability. The case now tests the Tinubu administration’s commitment to integrity in public finance. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and the Chief of Staff maintains his innocence. But the controversy raises urgent questions about how Nigeria’s budget process can be exploited and what happens when the lines between real institutions and phantom bodies blur.

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