Reps Probe How PFIPC Got N1.3bn in 2026 Budget 

Prince Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, has explained how the organisation allegedly secured a N1.3 billion allocation in Nigeria’s 2026 budget despite questions over its legal status.

Adeyemi claimed that he personally approached officials of the Budget Office to have the council included in the federal budget. He denied that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, played any role in securing the allocation.

His claims emerged as the House of Representatives began an investigation into the creation, activities and budgetary inclusion of the PFIPC. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria also told lawmakers that they were not responsible for establishing the council.

Adeyemi says he approached Budget Office officials

Adeyemi said he first visited the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek the council’s inclusion in the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

According to him, officials informed him that the process for the 2025 budget had already closed but said the proposal could be considered for the 2026 budget.

He alleged that a female official helped him gain access to the office of the Budget Office Director-General before he was referred to another director.

Adeyemi claimed that he did not pay any money to the officials. However, he admitted promising to provide employment opportunities to people recommended by them if the agency became operational.

He said the process stopped after his arrest and insisted that he did not know how the organisation eventually appeared in the 2026 budget.

Adeyemi denies meeting Gbajabiamila

Adeyemi also denied ever meeting Gbajabiamila physically.

He claimed that his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola, acted as an intermediary in an alleged payment connected to his appointment.

Adeyemi alleged that the equivalent of ₦400 million was delivered in United States dollars through Tanimola. However, he said he could not confirm whether the money reached the president’s chief of staff.

The allegations have not been independently established, and Gbajabiamila has not been accused of wrongdoing by a court.

Head of Service questions PFIPC documents

During the House hearing, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Didi Esther Walson-Jack said her office had no power to create federal agencies.

She confirmed that the council submitted a request for approval of its organisational structure in August 2025. The request was initially rejected because the council failed to provide the required documents.

However, officials representing the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC later requested an authorised staff structure and recruitment waiver during the 2025 manpower budget defence exercise.

The council claimed that 14 officials, including its Director-General, were already working there and requested approval to recruit more employees.

The Head of Service subsequently approved a structure containing 314 positions, including the 14 existing officials and 300 additional roles.

Walson-Jack said her office later discovered that the document presented as the council’s enabling law did not contain the features required of a valid legal instrument.

She also denied claims that her office deployed civil servants or allocated office space to the organisation.

CBN opened two accounts on OAGF’s instruction

The Central Bank of Nigeria told the committee that it opened two domiciliary accounts for the organisation after receiving instructions from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Hamisu Abdullahi, who represented the CBN governor, said the apex bank received the mandate on July 30, 2025.

One account was denominated in United States dollars, while the other was opened in pounds sterling.

However, the accounts were never activated because the council did not submit authorised signatories.

Abdullahi said both accounts had remained inactive with zero balances. He added that there had been no foreign exchange allocations, deposits, remittances or withdrawals.

The House committee directed the CBN to provide complete records of the accounts and investigate whether the council operated any related accounts with commercial banks.

House probes council’s legal status

Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas said the investigation was intended to establish the facts surrounding the organisation rather than promote political controversy.

The committee will determine whether the PFIPC had any legal basis, whether the correct procedures were followed in creating it and how it entered the federal budget.

Lawmakers will also examine its mandate, leadership structure, funding, activities and possible duplication of the responsibilities of existing government agencies.

The panel is expected to recommend reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Gbajabiamila appears before ICPC

Gbajabiamila also appeared before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on July 20, 2026, as part of its investigation into the disputed agency.

His lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed that the chief of staff honoured the commission’s invitation, answered questions and returned to work afterward.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the PFIPC controversy.