An investigation by the House of Representatives into the emergence of the unverified Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in Abuja has exposed widespread gaps in bureaucratic oversight. The ongoing hearings have brought to light how an entity operating without legal authorization secured office space at the Federal Secretariat, active Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) accounts, and financial allocation within the national budget.

The Establishment of an Unrecognized Entity

The controversy centers on Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly utilized fabricated documentation, including a falsified letter bearing the signature of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to establish the PFIPC. Using these materials, the organization secured a physical location at the Federal Secretariat, deployed approximately 300 personnel, and gained entry into the 2026 Appropriation Act under code 0111062001, carrying a total allocation of N1.3 billion across recurrent and capital expenditures.

President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to complete an investigation within 30 days. Concurrently, the House of Representatives established an ad-hoc committee led by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi to examine the administrative failure, while the Nigeria Police Force declared Adeyemi wanted.

The Timeline of Discovery and Institutional Response

According to records reviewed by parliamentary investigators, multiple government bodies identified inconsistencies regarding the council's legitimacy months before public disclosure.

• October and November 2025: The Office of the Chief of Staff communicated concerns regarding document forgery to security and ministerial authorities, explicitly disclaiming the existence of the council.

• Late 2025: The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the organization lacked formal recognition within federal structures.

• June 2026: Public awareness of the unauthorized council emerged as legislative and executive bodies addressed the inclusion of the entity within the passed budget framework.

Despite internal recognition of these discrepancies in late 2025, public disclaimers and coordinated administrative interventions were delayed until mid-2026.

Agency Testimony and Defense

During consecutive sessions before the House ad-hoc committee, representatives from various ministries, departments, and agencies detailed their interactions with the initiative while maintaining that established protocols were observed.

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Permanent Secretary Ambassador Dr. Dunoma Umar Ahmed submitted that the ministry declined multiple requests from Adeyemi to support an investment summit. The formal submission stated that the ministry never entered into memoranda of understanding or diplomatic engagements with the council.

• Budget Office of the Federation: Director-General Tanimu Yakubu testified that no funds were ultimately disbursed from the treasury under the PFIPC budget line. While an allocation appeared in the legislation, treasury warrants and cash backing were never issued, preventing actual expenditure. The office maintained that its statutory duty was strictly fiscal evaluation rather than the legal vetting of establishing instruments.

• Head of Civil Service: Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack confirmed that her office never approved an organizational structure for the council or deployed personnel to it.

Parliamentary Oversight and Next Steps

Lawmakers have raised critical questions regarding how an unverified entity successfully navigated the legislative budget scrutiny process without a recognized gazette number, Clerk signature, or presidential assent.

The ad-hoc committee has issued final notices to defaulting agencies, emphasizing that legislative summons under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution carry full legal obligation. As the ICPC investigation proceeds alongside the parliamentary hearings, inquiries continue into the procedural breakdowns that enabled the creation and budgeting of an unregistered entity.