The House of Representatives committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) says it found no evidence linking President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the activities of the purported government agency.
The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, said it investigated individuals connected to the controversy and based its findings on documentary evidence, financial records, oral testimony and submissions from government institutions, private organisations and other parties.
Gagdi said the panel did not focus its investigation on Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, while ignoring Gbajabiamila.
“We investigated everybody,” Gagdi said while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Why Gbajabiamila was not invited publicly
The committee chairman explained that neither Adeyemi nor Gbajabiamila was invited to appear during the committee’s public hearings because the House mandate was primarily to establish how the purported agency came into existence and how it found its way into the Federal Government’s budget framework.
According to Gagdi, invitations were expected to be based on evidence gathered during the investigation.
He, however, disclosed that committee members met Adeyemi while he was in police custody after receiving petitions against him.
Three petitions were reportedly submitted to the committee, all concerning Adeyemi. One petitioner alleged that Adeyemi collected ₦400 million from him, prompting the panel to seek clarification from the detained suspect.
Panel finds no evidence against Gbajabiamila
In its preliminary findings, the committee said it found no evidence that Gbajabiamila authorised, established or participated in the activities of the purported PFIPC.
Instead, the panel said evidence before it indicated that the Chief of Staff took steps to alert security and investigative agencies after concerns about the organisation were brought to his attention.
The committee said Gbajabiamila communicated with relevant agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while also initiating administrative verification of the claims surrounding the organisation.
The panel also said it found no evidence that Gbajabiamila signed a letter purportedly appointing Adeyemi as Director-General of the PFIPC.
According to the committee, the alleged appointment document was fabricated and falsely attributed to the Presidency.
58 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi
While clearing Gbajabiamila in its preliminary assessment, the committee said its investigation had uncovered approximately 58 bank accounts linked through identifying information to Adeyemi.
The accounts were reportedly connected to about nine agencies, companies, foundations or related entities, with some entities operating multiple accounts.
The panel also identified a total of 12 agencies and entities allegedly connected to Adeyemi.
However, the committee cautioned that the discovery of the accounts does not automatically establish that every account, entity or transaction was illegal.
It said investigators were still reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information, signatories and transaction histories to determine the true ownership and control of the identified accounts and entities.
No valid law establishing PFIPC, panel says
The committee further reported that it found no valid Act of the National Assembly or presidential order establishing the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
This finding is significant because the purported organisation had appeared in the Federal Government’s 2026 budget framework, despite questions over its legal status and legitimacy.
The investigation is therefore examining how an organisation whose legal existence the committee says could not be established gained access to government processes and became associated with the federal budget.
Investigation still ongoing
The committee described its latest findings as preliminary, meaning the investigation has not necessarily reached its final conclusions.
The panel said it would continue examining financial records, institutional documents and other evidence before reaching its final position.
For now, the committee’s findings represent a significant development in the PFIPC controversy: Gbajabiamila has been preliminarily cleared of involvement, while the investigation has identified dozens of bank accounts and multiple entities allegedly connected to Adeyemi.
The final report is expected to provide further details on how the purported agency operated, how it became associated with government processes and whether criminal or administrative violations occurred.
