Tinubu Orders ICPC To Probe PFIPC, Forged Appointment Claims

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC) and all related matters.

The President ordered that the investigation be concluded and a detailed report submitted to him within 30 days.

The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to Onanuga, the order followed the discovery of the “fictitious” PFIPC, which he said was “never established by the Federal Government and has no basis in any law, presidential instrument, executive approval, or any other lawful act of government.”

“One Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew presented himself as the Director-General of the so-called PFIPC and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee,” Onanuga stated.

The investigation will focus on several critical areas:

• The forged appointment letters and other official government documents.

• The use of a false claim of presidential appointment to seek or obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation.

• The opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.

The statement added that President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate not only the activities of the principal suspect and other collaborators but also the broader circumstances that may have enabled a fictitious body and a false claim of presidential appointment to “gain an appearance of official legitimacy.”

The President also instructed the commission to identify weaknesses in government and institutional procedures that may have been exploited and to recommend immediate measures to prevent a recurrence.

All ministries, departments, and agencies of the Federal Government have been instructed to provide the ICPC, upon lawful request, with all relevant information, records, and assistance required for the timely completion of the investigation.

President Tinubu stressed that the “integrity of the Presidency and federal institutions must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity, and the exploitation of weaknesses within the public service.”

He further directed that all persons found culpable be “dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.”

The controversy revolves around Adeniyi Adeyemi, who maintains that he was lawfully appointed Director-General of the PFIPC, despite the Presidency’s insistence that the council does not exist.

Adeyemi had accused the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, of receiving ₦400 million through a proxy and subsequently demanding an additional ₦200 million to facilitate his appointment.

He also challenged the Presidency’s denial of the PFIPC’s existence, arguing that the council was referenced in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The embattled claimant has called on President Bola Tinubu to constitute an independent investigative panel, stating that he is ready to defend his allegations in court.

However, the Presidency, through Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the claims and described Adeyemi as an impostor.

The Presidency alleged that Adeyemi “forged appointment documents, impersonated a government official, fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account, and operated under a non-existent government agency.”

The Presidency further stated that police investigations resulted in an eight-count criminal charge being filed against Adeyemi and two others, with the case scheduled for hearing on July 27.

Meanwhile, Femi Gbajabiamila has threatened a ₦10 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi over allegations of murder and bribery.