Breaking: Tinubu Issues Notable Order Amid Gbajabiamila-Adeyemi Saga, Details Emerge
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the ICPC to investigate the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council
- Dispute arose between Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi and Femi Gbajabiamila over alleged forgery and financial misconduct
- ICPC was tasked with identifying weaknesses in government procedures and recommending measures to prevent future abuses
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct "a thorough investigation" into the activities of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and all related matters.
According to a statement on Tuesday evening, July 7, by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu directed that the investigation be concluded and a comprehensive report submitted to him within 30 days.
Source: Twitter
Tinubu orders ICPC probe PFIPC
Legit.ng reports that a dispute is ongoing between Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is accused of forging government appointment letters and posing as the director-general (DG) of PFIPC, and Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to President Tinubu.
Earlier, Adeyemi accused Gbajabiamila of demanding 48% of the N1.3 billion appropriated for the agency in the 2026 budget.
The controversy has drawn nationwide attention and ignited widespread criticism after Adeyemi was declared wanted for allegedly presenting himself as the DG of PFIPC, an agency that the presidency insists does not exist.
According to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has now been directed to investigate the alleged forgery of 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; and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.
The presidency stated, according to This Day:
"President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate not only the conduct of the principal individual and other collaborators involved but also the wider circumstances that may have enabled a fictitious body and a false claim of presidential appointment to acquire an appearance of official legitimacy."
The statement added:
"The investigation is to examine the provenance and use of false official documents; the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been sought or obtained; the opening and operation of any related bank accounts; the source and movement of any funds involved; and the role of any public officer, private individual, financial institution, intermediary or other person or entity that may have facilitated, enabled or participated in the alleged scheme."
Tinubu orders action against institutional gaps
Furthermore, the presidency stated that President Tinubu had directed the ICPC to identify any weaknesses in government and institutional procedures that may have been exploited.
It added that the commission should recommend immediate measures to prevent similar abuses in the future.
Wanted Adeyemi denies forgery allegations
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) arraigned Adeyemi and two others before the federal high court on an eight-count charge. The case, filed on November 27, 2025, is scheduled for hearing on July 27. However, Adeyemi has remained in hiding since he was declared wanted.
In a recent interview with Premium Times, Adeyemi denied forging any appointment letters, describing the government's allegations as an attempt to silence him. He also maintained that the agency was established in 2024 and claimed his life was in danger.
Read the presidency's full statement on the Gbajabiamila-Adeyemi saga via Onanuga's X (formerly Twitter) account below:
Source: Facebook
Read more on Gbajabiamila
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- Gbajabiamila: Group reacts to allegation linking Tinubu’s chief of staff to Betta Edu’s scandal
Adeyemi: Gbajabiamila talks tough
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Gbajabiamila gave Adeyemi 72 hours to withdraw what he described as false and defamatory allegations made against him in a widely circulated press conference or face both civil and criminal legal action.
Gbajabiamila, through his solicitors, Pinheiro LP, also demanded a public apology, the removal of the alleged defamatory publications from all media platforms, and a written undertaking that no further allegations would be made against him.
The demands are contained in a cease-and-desist letter by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) on behalf of the law firm.
Source: Legit.ng
