‘Phantom’ Council: Reps Panel Clears Gbajabiamila

The House of Representatives adhoc committee investigating the existence and inclusion of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the Federal Government’s budget framework has cleared the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any wrongdoing in connection with the controversial council.

The Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau) disclosed this yesterday while presenting the preliminary findings of the committee to journalists at the National Assembly, Abuja.

The committee was constituted by the House following the adoption of Resolution 68/07/2026 on July 8, 2026, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of the ‘fictitious’ PFIPC in the federal budget framework and determine its legal status, funding, activities and persons connected to it.

Among the institutions invited by the committee during the investigative hearings were the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), State House, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Budget Office of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance and Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Others included the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Federal Road Safety Corps.

Gagdi stressed that the findings were preliminary and did not constitute the committee’s final report or the final position of the House.

Daily Trust reports that the purported Director General of the council, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, had accused Gbajabiamila of demanding a 48 per cent kickback from N27.3bn take-off grant allegedly approved for the PFIPC.  He also claimed to have paid N400m to Gbajabiamila through a proxy to secure the appointment.  

However, Gbajabiamila denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to act on his behalf and subsequently filed N15bn defamation suit against him.

In the suit, he is seeking N10bn in general damages, N5bn in aggravated damages, N200m as the cost of the action, and an order directing Adeyemi to publish a full retraction and apology in five national dailies.

Gbajabiamila acted promptly, says panel

Presenting the committee’s preliminary findings, Gagdi said there was no evidence that Gbajabiamila authorised, established, approved or participated in the activities of the ‘phantom’ council.

Rather, the committee said documentary evidence showed that the Chief of Staff took steps to alert relevant security and law enforcement agencies after concerns about the organisation were brought to his attention.

According to the committee, official correspondence showed that concerns about the purported organisation had previously been brought to Gbajabiamila’s attention.

It said that following an alert from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) over suspected fraud and misuse of institutional materials, the Chief of Staff acted within one day by communicating with the police, National Security Adviser, Department of State Services and anti-corruption agencies and initiating administrative verification.

The committee said further concerns, including those surrounding a proposed World Investment Summit, prompted additional communications requesting investigation and appropriate action.

“Documentary evidence before the committee does not establish that the Chief of Staff authorised, approved, established or participated in the purported organisation,” the committee said.

It consequently commended Gbajabiamila for his response to the alerts and recommended that his timely interventions be formally acknowledged.

58 bank accounts, 12 entities linked to ‘DG’

The committee said its preliminary findings linked about 58 bank accounts as well as 12 companies, foundations and other entities to Adeyemi.

It also identified what it described as institutional lapses within government agencies, including the Budget Office of the Federation and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, in relation to the recognition and processing of documents connected to the purported organisation.

Among the entities uncovered include Confederation of United Nations Youths, FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, United Nations Youth Global Agency, United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World Entrepreneurship University Limited, World Enterprise University Limited, FCT Investment Promotion Act, FCT Promotion Agency and Olubadan of Ibadan Foundation.

The panel observed that similarities in names, objectives, management structures, signatories and banking relationships raised concerns that multiple organisations might have been created or deployed using government, international, investment, educational, charitable and United Nations-related identities to create credibility.

However, the committee stressed that it had not concluded that every account, entity or transaction identified was unlawful.

The committee said it was reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information, signatories and transaction histories to establish the true nature and control of the accounts and entities.

The panel said its findings were based on oral testimony, documentary evidence, financial records and submissions received from relevant institutions and individuals.