Tinubu orders ICPC to investigate alleged fake presidential council within 30 days
By Nicodemus Mikailu
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the Presidency says does not exist.
The President ordered the anti-corruption agency to conclude its investigation and submit a detailed report within 30 days.
The directive was disclosed on Tuesday in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the Presidency, the order followed the discovery of what it described as a fictitious organisation operating under the name Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, insisting that the body was never created by the Federal Government and has no legal basis.
The statement identified one Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as the principal suspect, alleging that he falsely presented himself as the director-general of the council and claimed to be a presidential appointee.
The Presidency said the ICPC would investigate the alleged forgery of appointment letters and other official government documents, the use of a false claim of presidential appointment to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.
The investigation will also examine the origin and use of the alleged forged documents, the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been obtained, the operation of related bank accounts, the movement of funds, and the involvement of any public officials, financial institutions or private individuals who may have facilitated the alleged scheme.
Tinubu also instructed the commission to identify weaknesses in government procedures that may have enabled the alleged fraud and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.
The Presidency directed all federal ministries, departments and agencies to cooperate fully with the ICPC by providing relevant records and information required for the investigation.
According to Onanuga, the President stressed that the integrity of the Presidency and federal institutions must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and other fraudulent activities, adding that anyone found culpable should face the full weight of the law.
The controversy centres on Adeyemi, who maintains that he was lawfully appointed director-general of the PFIPC despite the Presidency’s insistence that no such council exists.
Adeyemi has alleged that the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, received ₦400m through a proxy and later demanded an additional ₦200m to facilitate his appointment. He also argued that the PFIPC was recognised in the 2026 Appropriation Act and challenged the Presidency’s denial of its existence.
He has called on Tinubu to establish an independent investigative panel, saying he is prepared to defend his claims in court.
The Presidency has rejected the allegations, describing Adeyemi as an impostor who allegedly forged appointment documents, impersonated a government official, fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account and operated under the guise of a non-existent government agency.
It added that police investigations had resulted in an eight-count criminal charge against Adeyemi and two others, with the case scheduled for hearing on 27 July.
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila has threatened to institute a ₦10bn defamation suit against Adeyemi over allegations of bribery and murder.
In a letter signed by his counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, the chief of staff demanded that Adeyemi, within 72 hours, remove all videos and publications containing the allegations, publish a full retraction and apology in at least five national newspapers and across his social media platforms.
The legal team described the allegations as “malicious, reckless and entirely without factual foundation”, accusing Adeyemi of attempting to portray Gbajabiamila as corrupt and criminal.
The letter further warned that failure to comply with the demands would result in both civil and criminal legal proceedings, including a criminal defamation complaint under the laws of the Federal Capital Territory.