A House of Representatives ad hoc committee has exonerated Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, of any involvement in the creation or operations of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Presenting preliminary findings at a televised press briefing on Wednesday, committee chairman Yusuf Gagdi confirmed that the panel found no evidence linking Gbajabiamila to the council. Instead, investigative records revealed that the Chief of Staff acted within 24 hours after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission raised red flags over suspected fraud and the misuse of official materials. Gbajabiamila promptly alerted the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while ordering institutional checks and submitting follow-up requests for formal investigations when further irregularities surfaced regarding a proposed global investment summit.
“The documentary evidence presently before the Committee does not establish that the Chief of Staff authorised, approved, established or participated in the activities of the purported organisation,” the panel stated, adding that “the evidence demonstrates repeated steps to secure investigation, institutional verification and appropriate administrative action.” Consequently, the lawmakers commended Gbajabiamila for his swift security and administrative interventions.
The parliamentary inquiry was triggered after the unrecognised body, headed by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, surprisingly appeared in the 2026 Federal Government budget. Adeyemi had passed himself off as the Director-General, claiming he was appointed by Gbajabiamila and making allegations surrounding operational funds. Gbajabiamila’s firm denial prompted deeper scrutiny into how an unauthorised entity accessed the national budget, with preliminary financial tracing now linking approximately 58 bank accounts to details tied to Adeyemi.
House investigators established that a letter appointing Adeyemi was forged, falsely attributing Gbajabiamila’s signature and presidential authority. State House records confirmed the letter was neither drafted nor signed by the Chief of Staff, noting that the stationery was counterfeit and used non-standard reference codes.
Furthermore, the panel dismissed documents presented as an Executive Order and an Act of Parliament creating the agency. Executive Order No. 5, dated 24 February 2026, was deemed illegitimate, while the supposed Act of Parliament was never passed by the legislature, signed by the President, or gazetted. Lawmakers noted that parts of an instrument from another institution had been digitally manipulated to feign legislative approval, confirming that no legal framework or administrative mandate ever existed for the council.