The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the alleged inclusion of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in the Federal Government’s budget framework has exonerated the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, from involvement with the organisation.
The committee said its preliminary findings showed no evidence that Gbajabiamila authorised, established or participated in the activities of the purported organisation.
Instead, the panel said documentary evidence showed that the Chief of Staff alerted security and investigative agencies and initiated administrative verification after concerns about the organisation were brought to his attention.
The committee’s Chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed the findings during a press briefing on the investigation.
According to the panel, concerns about the purported organisation were initially brought to Gbajabiamila’s attention following an alert from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission over suspected fraudulent activities and alleged misuse of institutional materials.
The committee said Gbajabiamila acted within one day by communicating with relevant security and investigative 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.
It added that he also initiated administrative verification through relevant government institutions.
The panel said further concerns, including those relating to a proposed world investment summit, prompted additional communications from the Chief of Staff requesting investigation and appropriate action.
“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.
“On the contrary, the evidence demonstrates repeated steps to secure investigation, institutional verification and appropriate administrative action,” the committee said.
The panel consequently said it “preliminarily commends” Gbajabiamila for the security and administrative interventions he undertook whenever the matter was formally brought to his attention.
Fake appointment letter
The committee also found that a document purportedly appointing Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi as Director-General of the organisation was fabricated and falsely attributed to the Presidency.
The document allegedly carried Gbajabiamila’s authority and signature.
However, the panel said evidence obtained from the State House established that no such appointment was made or approved by the Presidency and that Gbajabiamila neither issued nor signed the letter.
It said the letterhead was not an authentic State House letterhead, while the purported reference number did not conform to the official referencing system.
The committee further noted that the format, language and administrative features of the document differed materially from official State House correspondence.
It therefore made a preliminary finding that the purported appointment letter was fabricated and falsely attributed to the Presidency.
Fake Executive Order, National Assembly Act
The committee also said documents presented as a Presidential Executive Order and an Act of the National Assembly establishing the organisation were not authentic.
It said the purported Executive Order No. 5, dated February 24, 2026, was neither issued nor approved through the lawful processes of the Presidency.
Similarly, the panel said the document presented as an Act of the National Assembly was never passed by both chambers, assented to by the President or gazetted as an Act of the Federation.
According to the committee, portions of an instrument relating to another institution appeared to have been electronically altered, mutilated or substituted to create the impression that the National Assembly had enacted legislation establishing the organisation.
PFIPC not established by law
The panel said it found no valid Act of the National Assembly, gazetted enactment, Presidential Executive Order, administrative instrument or other lawful authority establishing an institution known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
It added that no competent Federal Government authority had produced an authentic record showing that the organisation was created, approved or authorised by the President, Federal Executive Council, National Assembly, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or any other legally empowered institution.
The committee also said the organisation operated under inconsistent descriptions, including the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
₦400 million alleged transaction
The panel said it received a complaint from a company alleging that Adeyemi induced it to make payments totalling about ₦400 million in four instalments.
According to the committee, the payments were allegedly made after the company was promised a contract for the renovation, furnishing or improvement of a residence purportedly allocated to Adeyemi in his claimed capacity as Director-General of the organisation.
The panel said it was tracing the destinations of the payments, identifying account holders and beneficial owners, and verifying the ownership and status of the property.
It stressed that the allegations remained subject to further investigation and that criminal guilt could only be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
58 bank accounts linked to alleged PFIPC DGX
The committee said preliminary financial information indicated that about 58 bank accounts were linked through identifying information associated with Adeyemi.
It added that more than 30 of the accounts appeared to have been operated in the names of about nine agencies, companies, foundations or related entities.
The panel alleged that Adeyemi might have been connected, directly or indirectly, with more than 12 entities, while stressing that it had not concluded that every identified account, entity or transaction was unlawful.
It said it would continue reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information and transaction histories to establish the nature and control of the entities and accounts.
The committee also said its preliminary findings uncovered alleged weaknesses in government institutions in verifying the legal existence of agencies, authenticating official correspondence, allocating government accommodation, processing special number plates and protecting official identities.
It said its final report would determine institutional and individual responsibilities and recommend appropriate legislative, administrative, disciplinary, civil, financial and prosecutorial actions.
The committee stressed that the findings were preliminary and did not constitute its final report or the final position of the House of Representatives.