Reps Kick Against Action on Gbajabiamila as National Assembly Takes Up PFIPC Scandal

The House of Representatives is set to begin a formal investigation into the controversial inclusion of the unestablished Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 Appropriation Act, even as some lawmakers have criticised the decision not to invite President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to appear before the probe panel.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is expected to inaugurate the ad hoc committee today (Monday) at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

The committee will also hold its first public hearing in line with Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to investigate issues relating to public institutions and the management of public funds.

The panel, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, was set up following a resolution of the House to investigate how about N1.32 billion was allocated to the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an agency that had not been legally established.

The investigation follows the arrest of self-proclaimed PFIPC Director-General, Adeyemi Adeniyi, who is accused of orchestrating the inclusion of the agency in the 2026 budget despite its non-existence.

Adeniyi was arrested by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team after failing to appear in court to answer charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.

Police had earlier confirmed that he was being interrogated over allegations surrounding the operation of an organisation allegedly presented as a Federal Government agency.

The controversy became public after Adeniyi allegedly claimed that he paid millions of naira through proxies to Gbajabiamila to facilitate the establishment of the agency. Both the Presidency and the Office of the Chief of Staff have denied the allegation.

Gbajabiamila has also filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Adeniyi, seeking N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, N200 million as the cost of the action, and an order compelling him to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers.

A notice signed by Gagdi invited several top government officials, including the Ministers of Budget and Economic Planning, Finance, Industry, Trade and Investment, Justice and Foreign Affairs. Others invited include the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Chairmen of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Auditor-General for the Federation, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Director-General of the Department of State Services and the Inspector-General of Police.

The committee also called on civil society organisations, professional bodies, development partners, relevant institutions and members of the public to submit memoranda relating to its terms of reference.

However, the exclusion of both Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi from the list of invited witnesses has sparked criticism, with some lawmakers questioning the credibility of the investigation.

A member of the committee, who spoke anonymously, said the omission created the impression that the investigation could be biased.

“From the notice, you will see that the two central figures are not invited. I mean Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi. There is an obvious attempt to exempt Gbajabiamila, and that is an attempt by the committee to clear him. From the notice of invitation, there is already a bias,” the lawmaker said.

Public affairs analyst Jackson Ojo also faulted the decision, arguing that inviting the Chief of Staff was necessary to ensure a transparent investigation.

“The committee is starting on the wrong footing. They should have invited the Chief of Staff to clear his name,” Punch Newspaper quoted Ojo.

He added, “As important as the invited government officials are to the investigation, they are not as important as Gbajabiamila. The man taken into custody mentioned the Chief of Staff. So, why is he not part of those to field questions from the lawmakers?”

The committee is expected to determine how the PFIPC was included in the 2026 budget despite lacking legal backing. It will also trace the budgetary allocation from the executive proposal through the legislative process to identify the stage at which the provision was introduced.

The House constituted the panel following growing public concern over alleged irregularities in the 2026 budget, particularly the allocation of more than N1 billion to an agency that the Federal Government insists does not legally exist.