The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has intensified, with Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to have been appointed as the council’s Director-General, declaring his readiness to surrender himself to security agencies and submit all documents in his possession for investigation.
His position comes as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the purported agency and submit its findings within 30 days.
The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC never existed, describing it as a fictitious body with no legal backing, presidential approval, executive instrument, or government authorization.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu directed the ICPC to probe allegations bordering on forgery, impersonation, fraudulent use of government documents, illegal opening of bank accounts in the names of government agencies, and the possible involvement of public officials or private individuals who may have facilitated the alleged scheme.
The President also ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to cooperate fully with investigators, stressing that anyone found culpable should face the full weight of the law.
Adeyemi: I’ll Report to DSS
Speaking during a video conversation with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, Adeyemi insisted he was willing to assist investigators.
According to him, he plans to report to either the Department of State Services (DSS) or the Nigeria Police Force with every document in his possession.
“I’m willing and ready to help security agencies unravel the truth. I will submit all the documents I have for verification so investigators can determine how the agency emerged and who was responsible,” he said.
Questions Over Budget Inclusion
Adeyemi also challenged the Presidency’s position that the PFIPC never existed, questioning how an agency allegedly without legal status found its way into the national budget.
He claimed he was in police detention for 23 days—from October 27 to November 19—during the period the federal budget was being prepared, making it impossible for him or anyone from the council to defend its budget before the National Assembly.
According to him, he was invited by the police following a petition allegedly submitted by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Adeyemi maintained that after his release, the office previously allocated to the council had already been reassigned to another government official.
He argued that the biggest mystery remains how lawmakers approved funding for an agency now being described by the Presidency as non-existent.
Calls for Gbajabiamila to Step Aside
Reacting to the development, Paul Ibe, spokesman to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, urged President Tinubu to suspend Gbajabiamila and other officials allegedly linked to the controversy pending the outcome of the investigation.
According to Ibe, allowing those mentioned in the allegations to remain in office while investigations continue could compromise the credibility of the probe.
Lawyers, Analysts Weigh In
Human rights lawyer Maximus Ugwuoke welcomed the President’s directive, describing an independent investigation as the proper path to establishing the facts.
He, however, argued that there is no legal requirement compelling Gbajabiamila to step aside unless evidence directly implicates him, though he noted that doing so could satisfy moral expectations and reinforce public confidence.
Political analyst Nduka Odo questioned the possibility of Adeyemi acting alone, arguing that no individual could single-handedly establish a government agency, secure office space within the Federal Secretariat, recruit staff, and have the agency captured in the national budget without support from influential figures within government.
Similarly, President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, Olu Omotayo, called on the National Assembly to explain how a budget allocation for the alleged agency was approved if the Presidency insists it never existed.
He said the controversy has raised serious questions about the credibility of Nigeria’s budgeting and institutional oversight processes.
The ICPC is expected to conclude its investigation and submit its report to President Tinubu within 30 days.
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