Fake Presidential Council Racket: Tinubu Orders Probe, Suspects Grilled

The alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has become the center of a major scandal in Nigeria, prompting President Bola Tinubu to order a thorough investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The controversy revolves around a purported agency that the Federal Government asserts was never established by any law, presidential instrument, or lawful act. Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, is at the heart of the matter, facing charges and legal challenges related to the controversial body.

Matthew has publicly explained his rationale for establishing the agency, asserting that his aim was to attract foreign investors to Nigeria and support President Tinubu's administration, rather than personal gain. Speaking during a video call, he claimed to have funded the agency's office out of "passion for the country" and a desire to "write my name in gold" by making Nigeria a preferred destination for foreign investments. He expressed confusion regarding how the agency's budget appeared in the national budget, stating he was in detention for 23 days between October and November 2025 when the budget for the Presidential Foreign Council was allegedly prepared and defended in the National Assembly. Matthew also mentioned providing the name and number of a person who facilitated his appointment letter to the police and claimed to possess documents to support the agency's establishment, which he intends to submit to investigative bodies.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has been a vocal critic of the handling of the investigation, particularly concerning the police's involvement. Initially reacting to reports of the arrest of Matthew's elderly father in Ogbomoso, Falana condemned it as an illegal "substituted arrest," emphasizing that Nigerian law prohibits the arrest or detention of a suspect's relative. He cited the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), and the Nigeria Police Act as legal bases against such actions. Although police officers later informed Falana that the elderly man was merely invited for questioning to assist investigators and subsequently released, Falana maintained that taking him to a police station was improper, suggesting investigators could have obtained a statement without subjecting him to such treatment. Falana also revealed that Adeyemi was arrested in October 2025, detained for about three weeks, and charged on November 27, 2025, but has yet to be arraigned in court despite multiple appearances.

Welcoming President Tinubu’s directive for the ICPC to investigate, Falana urged the police to step aside and suspend any parallel investigation to avoid undermining the presidential mandate, expressing confidence that the anti-graft agency would uncover a "scandal of monumental proportions." He called for the investigation to extend beyond mere allegations of forgery to determine how the purported agency secured office accommodation in the Federal Secretariat, deployed personnel, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and found its way into public records and the national budget. Falana questioned whether any public officials facilitated the inclusion of the agency in the Appropriation Bill, stressing that such persons must be held accountable.

President Tinubu’s directive mandates the ICPC to conclude its investigation and submit a comprehensive report within 30 days. The investigation is to cover a wide range of issues, including forged appointment letters and other official government documents, the use of false claims of presidential appointment to seek 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 President specifically tasked the ICPC with investigating not only the principal individual and collaborators but also the wider circumstances that enabled a fictitious body to acquire an appearance of official legitimacy. This includes examining the provenance and use of false documents, processes for obtaining official recognition or diplomatic support, bank account operations, fund movements, and the role of any public officer, private individual, financial institution, or other entity involved. Furthermore, the ICPC is to identify weaknesses in government and institutional procedures to prevent similar abuses, with all federal ministries, departments, and agencies directed to provide full cooperation.

Adding another layer to the controversy, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, offered a scathing critique of institutional failures. He argued that if correspondence from such an agency was processed through the SGF’s office without verification, it points to a "dereliction of duty." Lawal emphasized that established verification procedures and due diligence should have detected an agency lacking legal recognition or official records. He explained that legitimate federal agencies are created through presidential approval, Federal Executive Council consideration, and often legislation, questioning how the PFIPC could simply emerge and find its way into the national budget without these processes. He stated that the SGF’s office should have flagged such an entity before any request was forwarded or a budget code assigned.

Lawal raised significant alarm over claims of an alleged ₦27.5 billion "take-off grant" released to the agency even before any budgetary allocation. He questioned who approved and disbursed these unappropriated funds, calling it deeply frightening that such a substantial sum could go to a fictitious organization. He rejected the notion that the system ultimately worked, asserting that the alleged fraud only came to light due to a dispute over fund sharing, implying a "big racket" and "institutional compromise" rather than effective safeguards. Lawal criticized the National Assembly for failing to properly scrutinize budget proposals, allowing questionable allocations to pass, and lamented what he perceived as the SGF being "sidelined in a lot of things." He called for a broader, judicial inquiry rather than merely an administrative one, to expose the powerful individuals who ensured the agency's informal existence and funding.

In a related development, lawyers representing Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila have filed a massive ₦10 billion defamation lawsuit against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, demanding a full retraction of his claims that Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 percent bribe from the alleged ₦27.5 billion take-off grant. This legal action further underscores the gravity and multi-faceted nature of the scandal. The ongoing controversies surrounding the PFIPC expose not only potential fraud but also broader systemic weaknesses in governmental checks and balances, budget processes, and institutional accountability within Nigeria's public service, as highlighted by various stakeholders.