The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) escalated on Thursday as its embattled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, pledged to cooperate fully with investigators by surrendering all official documents in his possession to security agencies.
Adeyemi’s declaration follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate how the council—described by the Presidency as a non-existent and fraudulent agency—secured a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The development has also exposed divisions within the National Assembly. While the House of Representatives launched a full-scale investigation into the controversial budget allocation, the Senate opted to suspend its own inquiry pending the outcome of the ICPC’s 30-day probe.
Speaking during a social media interview with activist VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi said he was prepared to submit all relevant documents to the Department of State Services (DSS) or the police to assist investigators.
“I am willing and ready to help security agencies or any panel set up by Mr. President to unravel the truth. Any moment from now, I will go to the DSS or the police to submit all the documents I have. They should authenticate them, verify them and unravel the truth,” he said.
The suspended DG expressed surprise that an agency the Presidency has publicly disowned was included in the national budget.
According to him, he could not have influenced the budget process because he was detained for 23 days during the period the 2026 budget was being prepared.
“When the Presidency said the agency does not exist, I wondered how an agency that found its way into the national budget could suddenly be described as fake. I neither prepared nor defended any budget while I was in detention,” Adeyemi stated.
He also addressed previous allegations involving the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, saying only an independent investigation could establish the facts.
Adeyemi further disclosed that he survived an attack by gunmen near Zuma Rock in September 2025 and maintained that the council was created with the aim of attracting foreign investment into Nigeria.
House launches investigation
At the House of Representatives, lawmakers described the budget allocation to the alleged agency as a serious breach of Nigeria’s appropriation process.
Leading the motion, Yusuf Gagdi argued that the council allegedly relied on a non-existent law to justify its operations, despite having office space within the Federal Secretariat and engaging diplomatic missions.
The House subsequently constituted an ad hoc committee with a four-week mandate to investigate how the agency secured ₦1.302 billion under budget code 0111062001.
The committee is expected to summon the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Director-General of the Budget Office and other relevant officials to explain the approval process.
Lawmakers also directed the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation not to release any funds to the disputed agency until investigations are concluded.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu admitted that his office was initially misled by documents bearing official government insignia and correspondence linked to the Presidency.
Senate defers probe
Unlike the House, the Senate declined to commence a separate investigation.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary, ruled that lawmakers should await the outcome of the ICPC investigation before taking further legislative action.
His ruling halted a motion sponsored by Senator Kawu Sumaila, who had called for an immediate Senate investigation into how the agency received over ₦800 million for personnel costs, ₦200 million for overheads and ₦300 million for capital projects in the 2026 budget.
Atiku, ADC reject ICPC investigation
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized President Tinubu’s decision to assign the investigation to the ICPC, arguing that the Presidency cannot investigate a scandal in which it is allegedly implicated.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku called for an independent commission comprising representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), opposition parties, civil society organisations and retired judges.
“A party whose conduct is under scrutiny cannot appoint itself investigator, judge and final authority over its own case,” Atiku said.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) also rejected the ICPC probe, insisting that the anti-corruption agency lacks the independence required to investigate the matter objectively.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the Presidency of prejudging the case by describing Adeyemi’s documents as forged before any forensic examination.
The ADC also condemned the reported arrest of Adeyemi’s father by security operatives, describing it as an act of intimidation intended to influence the investigation.
The scandal continues to raise serious concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s budget process, with mounting pressure for a transparent investigation into how a disputed agency allegedly secured billions of naira in public funds.
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