Former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Sam Amadi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu and the Presidency over the controversy surrounding the alleged fictitious Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

Amadi, in a post on X on Thursday, questioned how a non-existent government agency allegedly operated without being detected within the Presidency.

He argued that officials in the Presidency should have raised questions about the existence of the agency, accusing the administration of lacking awareness.

“So, nobody in the Presidency could say, ‘Wait a minute, when did we create this agency?’ Tinubu is then the ultimate cluelessness. And many so-called technocrats and vain professors think he should be reelected,” Amadi wrote.

His remarks followed a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissing claims by Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew that he was appointed Director-General of a Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

The Presidency described the council as a fictitious body and Adeyemi as an impostor facing criminal prosecution over allegations of forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

According to the Presidency, investigations by security agencies established that Adeyemi forged appointment documents, falsely presented himself as a government appointee, operated multiple bank accounts linked to fictitious agencies and fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account without receiving any government funds.

The Presidency also urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from promoting Adeyemi’s claims, noting that the matter is before the court.