PFIPC Scandal: Embattled ‘DG’ Adeniyi Adeyemi Pledges Cooperation With ICPC Probe

The PFIPC scandal took a fresh turn this week after Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, promised full cooperation with the anti-graft agency investigating his controversial outfit. Adeyemi made this declaration on Tuesday during an Instagram Live session with social media personality VeryDarkMan, coming just hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to dig into the matter.

According to Adeyemi, he already plans to hand over key documents to security operatives so they can get to the bottom of the controversy. Meanwhile, the Presidency insists the council never legally existed in the first place.

Adeyemi Speaks Out Amid the PFIPC Scandal

During the interview, Adeyemi struck a cooperative tone rather than a defensive one. He explained that he genuinely wants investigators, whether from the police, the Department of State Services, or any panel Tinubu might set up, to examine every available document.

“I am willing and ready to help security agencies or any panel set up by Mr President to unravel the truth,” he said. He added that he would soon walk into the DSS or police headquarters to submit everything in his possession. As a result, he believes those records could clarify how the council operated and where the confusion originated.

Furthermore, Adeyemi urged investigators to verify the paperwork independently rather than take his word for it. “They should authenticate them, verify them, and unravel the truth,” he said.

Budget Mystery Deepens PFIPC Scandal Questions

Interestingly, Adeyemi raised his own questions about how the council ended up in Nigeria’s national budget despite the Presidency’s claim that it never existed. He pointed out that officials from the Chief of Staff’s office had dismissed the agency as fake, yet it somehow secured a budget line.

He also revealed that he spent 23 days in detention while the 2026 budget was being prepared. Because of this, he insists he could not have personally defended or lobbied for any allocation. “I did not prepare or defend any budget, and nobody went to defend it on my behalf. That is why I am confused about how the agency found its way into the national budget,” he explained.

Notably, the council reportedly ran operations from the Federal Secretariat Complex, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and received an allocation of N1.3bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act, all without any known enabling law.

Allegations Against Gbajabiamila Remain Unresolved

When pressed about his claims involving Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, Adeyemi chose caution over confrontation. “I wouldn’t say he’s lying, and I wouldn’t say he’s telling the truth. That is why I requested that Mr President set up an investigative panel to unravel the truth,” he said. Consequently, he wants an independent inquiry to determine who bears responsibility rather than trading accusations publicly.

Adeyemi additionally claimed gunmen attacked him near Zuma Rock in September 2025. Despite the danger, he maintains his motives were patriotic. “I don’t really have a negative plan. It’s all about passion for the country. That agency is to bring foreign investors to Nigeria and make Nigeria a preferred destination for investment,” he said.

Presidency and ICPC Push Forward With Investigation

Meanwhile, Tinubu has directed the ICPC to complete its probe within 30 days and report back. Investigators must also examine alleged forged appointment letters and government documents that Adeyemi reportedly used to seek diplomatic recognition, visa facilitation, and multiple bank accounts under fake agency names.

This directive follows weeks of pressure from civil society groups, opposition figures, and senior lawyers demanding accountability. Notably, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who represents Adeyemi, has questioned how a supposedly fake body still made it into the national budget. He has also called for the ICPC to scrutinize both Adeyemi and Gbajabiamila. For its part, the Presidency denies any link between Gbajabiamila and the scheme, stating that police forensic analysis confirmed the appointment letter’s signature was forged.

For readers following Nigeria’s anti-corruption landscape, this case adds to a growing list of controversies drawing scrutiny from the ICPC, Nigeria’s anti-graft body.

As the 30-day deadline approaches, Nigerians will be watching closely to see whether the documents Adeyemi promises to hand over finally clear up how a “non-existent” agency managed to secure government recognition, office space, and a budget line all at once.