Dalung Sparks Fresh Debate With Photos Of Adeyemi Alongside Shettima, Other Top Officials

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has questioned how Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), gained access to the Presidential Villa and senior government officials.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a post on his X account, Dalung shared a photograph showing Adeyemi alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and other top government figures, raising questions about the level of access the defendant allegedly enjoyed.

“What can you see?

“Should we also ask how the DG of the fake federal agency accessed the State House and enjoyed this level of proximity to the seat of power?” Dalung wrote.

His comments come after Adeyemi was arrested following a bench warrant issued by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, bordering on allegations of forgery, fraud and impersonation.

The defendant failed to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment despite his counsel, Genesis Francis, announcing his appearance before the court. His absence prompted the prosecution to apply for a warrant for his arrest, which the court granted.

Dalung Alleges ₦200 Million Bribe Demand During Budget Defence

Meanwhile, Dalung has also alleged that members of the National Assembly demanded a ₦200 million bribe from him during his first budget defence as Minister of Youth and Sports Development under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Daily Trust, the former minister made the allegation while reflecting on his time in office, describing the incident as one of his earliest encounters with what he characterised as entrenched corruption within public institutions.

Dalung claimed the alleged demand was made shortly after he presented the ministry’s budget proposal before lawmakers.

According to him, committee members requested ₦200 million despite the absence of any such provision in the ministry’s approved budget.

“I looked through the budget documents before me and replied that I had not seen any budget line titled ‘bribe.’

“I told the committee that since no such provision existed in the ministry’s appropriation, I had no idea where they expected me to obtain ₦200 million,” he said.

Dalung alleged that his response brought his participation in the meeting to an abrupt end.

According to him, lawmakers asked him to leave the session and informed him that they would continue discussions with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary.

“They simply told me, ‘Okay, Mr Minister, you are excused. We will take it up with the Permanent Secretary,'” he recalled.

The former minister further claimed that after the incident, his role during subsequent budget defence sessions was significantly reduced.

He alleged that he was thereafter only required to present a general overview of the ministry’s budget before detailed discussions continued behind closed doors between lawmakers and senior ministry officials.

Dalung also claimed that the alleged practice extended beyond his ministry, alleging that some ministers, particularly those considered close to the Presidency, routinely complied with similar demands to facilitate the passage of their budget proposals.

He argued that legislative oversight had, in some instances, been compromised by personal financial interests, weakening transparency, accountability and public confidence in government institutions.

Dalung further maintained that alleged corruption within oversight institutions had contributed to the persistence of financial scandals involving ministries, departments and agencies across the country.