Fake Agency Saga: More questions than answers as Tinubu orders probe, gives ICPC 30-Day ultimatum

The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has entered a more critical phase, placing the administration of President Bola Tinubu under increasing public scrutiny over an agency the Presidency insists never existed.

In a major development, President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the alleged council and submit its findings within 30 days.

According to the Presidency, the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal basis in any law, presidential approval, executive instrument or official government action.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the investigation will examine allegations surrounding forged appointment letters, the use of false claims of presidential appointment to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies, and the possible involvement of public officials, financial institutions and other collaborators.

The President also directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to cooperate fully with the ICPC, while instructing investigators to identify weaknesses within government systems that may have allowed the alleged scheme to flourish and recommend reforms to prevent a recurrence.

However, the controversy has become even more complicated following fresh claims by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man at the centre of the dispute.

Adeyemi, who is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court on charges of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation, says he is prepared to voluntarily report to either the Department of State Services (DSS) or the Nigeria Police Force with every document in his possession to assist investigators.

Speaking during a video conversation with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi challenged investigators to authenticate his documents and determine how the PFIPC emerged.

He also questioned how an agency the Presidency now describes as non-existent was allocated funds in the national budget.

According to Adeyemi, he could not have influenced the budget process because he was in police detention for 23 days—from October 27 to November 19—following a petition allegedly submitted by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

He claimed that while in detention, the PFIPC’s office had already been reassigned to another government official and insisted neither he nor anyone else defended the agency’s budget before the National Assembly.

Adeyemi argued that the biggest mystery remains how the council found its way into the Appropriation Act despite allegedly having no legal existence.

The controversy has also triggered political reactions.

Media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, argued that President Tinubu should suspend Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and any other officials linked to the allegations pending the outcome of the investigation, insisting that allowing key figures to remain in office during the probe could undermine public confidence in the process.

On the legal front, human rights lawyer Maximus Ugwuoke welcomed the President’s directive, describing an independent investigation as the appropriate path forward.

He maintained that while there is no legal requirement compelling the Chief of Staff to step aside before any findings have been established, the investigation must determine whether any public officials facilitated the operations of the alleged council and identify institutional weaknesses that require urgent reforms.

Political analyst Nduka Odo also questioned whether Adeyemi could have acted alone.

According to him, no individual could single-handedly obtain office space within the Federal Secretariat, recruit staff and secure budgetary allocations without support from influential figures inside government.

He argued that the investigation should establish who, if anyone, enabled the alleged operations rather than focusing solely on one individual.

Similarly, President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), Barrister Olu Omotayo, described the controversy as a serious test of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

He questioned how the National Assembly approved funding for an agency now officially described as non-existent and urged lawmakers to publicly explain how such an allocation passed through the legislative process.

The PFIPC controversy has gradually evolved beyond allegations of forgery and impersonation into broader questions about Nigeria’s budgetary process, institutional accountability, inter-agency coordination and public sector oversight.

Whether the Presidency’s position ultimately prevails or Adeyemi’s claims are substantiated, the ICPC investigation now carries enormous public expectations.

Beyond determining criminal liability, Nigerians will expect investigators to explain how an agency allegedly unknown to the Presidency appeared to operate publicly, interacted with government institutions and reportedly secured a place in the national budget.

Ultimately, the credibility of the investigation will not be judged merely by arrests or prosecutions, but by whether it produces verifiable answers, holds every culpable individual accountable regardless of status, and strengthens the safeguards needed to prevent similar controversies from recurring within Nigeria’s public institutions.

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