Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has appeared before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as part of the ongoing investigation into the activities of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Gbajabiamila’s appearance before the anti-graft agency on Monday followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering a full investigation into the fake agency after the scandal erupted earlier this month.
His lawyer, Jiti Ogunye of Jiti Ogunye Chambers, confirmed the development in a statement, saying the Chief of Staff arrived at the ICPC headquarters at about 3:00 p.m., gave his testimony, answered questions from investigators and later returned to his office at the Presidential Villa.
Ogunye said, “In full cooperation with the ICPC, acting as directed by the President of Nigeria, I hereby confirm that my client, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, responded to the invitation of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and appeared at about 15:00hrs on Monday, July 20, 2026, as part of the ongoing investigation into the activities of the ‘PFIPC’ fake agency, among others.
“My client gave his testimony, responded to questions accordingly, and has returned to his duty post.”
Gbajabiamila’s appearance is part of the investigation ordered by President Tinubu on July 7, 2026. The President directed the ICPC to investigate the activities of the fake agency and submit its findings within 30 days.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the self-acclaimed Director-General of the fake agency, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery and impersonation.
The Presidency had earlier distanced itself from Adeyemi after alleging that he forged a presidential appointment letter carrying the falsified signature of Gbajabiamila. According to the Presidency, the forged document was used to obtain office space at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where Adeyemi allegedly operated the fictitious agency.
Investigators also allege that Adeyemi held meetings with foreign diplomats, wrote official letters to ministries and security agencies, opened 34 bank accounts, including one with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and secured about N1.3 billion for the fake agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Adeyemi is expected to reappear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, alongside two alleged accomplices identified only as Femi and Anu, who are currently at large.
The latest development comes days after Adeyemi claimed in a recorded interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, that he was no longer involved when the N1.3 billion allocation eventually appeared in the federal budget.
According to Adeyemi, he had visited the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek the inclusion of PFIPC in the 2025 budget but was informed that the process had already closed.
He said in the recently released video, “I went to that Budget Office for the 2025 budget. I submitted the letter and everything that I wanted, but I was told it was already late. When the 2025 budget came out and I didn’t see it, they told me it would now be for the 2026 budget.”
Adeyemi further alleged that a female official helped him secure meetings with senior officials and claimed he was asked to provide gratification before his proposal could be processed.
He stated, “She helped me to see the oga. Oga now said, ‘Where is my shini?’ I said I don’t have any shini. He later asked me to meet one director.”
According to him, the director informed him that PFIPC could not be accommodated in the 2025 budget because the process had already been concluded but suggested it could be considered during the next budget cycle.
Adeyemi insisted that his arrest and legal troubles ended every effort relating to the proposed agency and claimed he was unaware of how PFIPC later found its way into the 2026 budget.
He said, “Immediately, there was a problem, everything stopped. Even the woman that wanted to help was calling because she couldn’t reach me. I told her to let everything stop.”
He added, “I didn’t even know until they said it was inside the budget. I had already left the office.”
The suspect also denied allegations linking Gbajabiamila to the budget controversy, insisting he never had direct contact with the President’s Chief of Staff.
According to him, “I never met Gbajabiamila physically before and after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me.”
He also denied paying money to officials of the Budget Office, maintaining that he merely promised future employment opportunities if the agency eventually became operational.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has commenced its own investigation into how the non-existent agency secured about N1.32 billion in the 2026 budget, while the Presidency and the Office of the Chief of Staff have repeatedly denied any involvement in the activities of the fake agency. Gbajabiamila has also filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi over allegations that he received money to facilitate the establishment of the PFIPC.