The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) intensified on Tuesday as the House of Representatives stepped up its investigation into the disputed agency, issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) accused of obstructing its probe.
The investigation followed allegations that the council operated as a government agency despite concerns over its legal basis. Lawmakers are examining how the body appeared in official government records and whether public institutions played any role in facilitating its activities.
The probe took a fresh turn with the House committee summoning the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, despite the ministry sending a representative to appear before the panel. The investigation was also marked by the withdrawal of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana (SAN), from representing the alleged Director-General of the council, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The House Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment, funding and operations of the PFIPC warned that any defaulting MDA that failed to appear before it with the requested officials and documents within 48 hours would face constitutional sanctions.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, said the refusal of some agencies to honour invitations undermined the oversight powers of the National Assembly and hindered efforts to uncover the facts surrounding the controversial agency.
He described the absence of the affected agencies as a direct challenge to the constitutional oversight authority of the House of Representatives.
According to the committee, the actions of the defaulting agencies amounted to “a serious affront” to the House and weakened the legislature’s constitutional duty to hold public institutions accountable.
He said, “The committee views this conduct as a serious affront to the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives and an unacceptable disregard for the authority of the parliament, which represents the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.”
Gagdi reminded the affected agencies that invitations issued by House committees are backed by the Constitution and must be obeyed.
He said, “It must be clearly understood that invitations issued by a duly constituted Committee of the House of Representatives are not matters of discretion. They are issued pursuant to the constitutional powers vested in the National Assembly under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Compliance is therefore a legal obligation, not an act of courtesy.”
The committee directed all defaulting ministries, departments and agencies to appear before it on Thursday with the relevant officials and all requested documents.
According to Gagdi, the hearing would serve as the final opportunity for the agencies to comply voluntarily with the committee’s directives.
“Thursday is the final opportunity for every defaulting agency to comply voluntarily with the lawful directives of this Committee,” he added.
The committee warned that any agency that failed to honour the invitation without lawful justification would face the full weight of the law.
“Any ministry, department or agency that fails to appear without lawful justification will leave the committee with no alternative but to invoke every constitutional and statutory power available to the House of Representatives to compel compliance and ensure accountability. The Committee will not hesitate to recommend and pursue every sanction permitted by law against any person or institution that deliberately obstructs or frustrates this investigation,” he warned.
Gagdi maintained that the investigation was not intended to target any individual or institution but to establish the facts surrounding the activities of the PFIPC and uphold the integrity of public administration.
He added, “This investigation is in the national interest. It is not targeted at any individual or institution but is aimed at establishing the facts, protecting the integrity of public administration, safeguarding the rule of law, and ensuring that no public office or institution operates outside the framework of the Constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The committee also reaffirmed its commitment to conducting the investigation professionally and without bias.
“No agency of government, regardless of its status or perceived influence, will be permitted to undermine the constitutional authority of the House of Representatives or frustrate the discharge of its legislative responsibilities,” he added.
The warning comes as lawmakers continue their probe into the PFIPC, whose legal status has been questioned following allegations that it operated as a government agency without formal establishment. At previous hearings, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs told lawmakers that it neither recognised the council nor had any official dealings with its alleged Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The ministry further informed the committee that the Office of the National Security Adviser had confirmed that both the council and its alleged Director-General were unknown to the Federal Government.
Lawmakers are expected to determine whether any public officials or institutions facilitated the activities of the organisation and recommend appropriate legislative or legal action.
The committee also insisted that Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu must personally appear before it, despite the ministry being represented at Tuesday’s hearing.
Meanwhile, the House committee continued its public hearings, summoning key government officials and institutions connected to the controversy.
During one of the sessions, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria informed lawmakers that bank accounts allegedly linked to the PFIPC were opened on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation but contained zero balances and recorded no financial transactions.
The committee has also received submissions from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and other government institutions as it investigates how the agency allegedly gained recognition in official government documents despite concerns about its legal status.
The inquiry has also focused on the circumstances surrounding the agency’s inclusion in government records, the opening of bank accounts in its name, and allegations made by Adeyemi against senior government officials.
Falana’s withdrawal from Adeyemi’s legal team has added another dimension to the case, which has drawn nationwide attention and heightened scrutiny of public institutions, government financial processes and the legitimacy of agencies operating within the federal system.
The development comes as criminal proceedings and separate investigations by security agencies and the National Assembly continue.
Falana confirmed his withdrawal in an interview on Tuesday, stating simply, “I have withdrawn from the Adeyemi case.”
The senior lawyer, however, did not disclose the reason for his decision to discontinue representing Adeyemi, whose alleged appointment as Director-General of the controversial agency remains central to ongoing investigations.
A source familiar with the matter disclosed that Falana, who had been handling the case pro bono, advised Adeyemi against granting media interviews to avoid complicating the case.
Despite the advice, Adeyemi later participated in an Instagram Live interview with social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
According to the source, Falana ultimately decided to withdraw after Adeyemi informed him that he would not appear in court on July 27, the scheduled date for his arraignment.
Falana’s decision comes just weeks after he publicly criticised the police over their handling of the investigation, arguing that the reported arrest of Adeyemi’s father violated constitutional safeguards. He had maintained that investigators should have taken the elderly man’s statement at his residence instead of taking him to a police station.
The latest development is expected to raise fresh questions about Adeyemi’s legal strategy as criminal proceedings and multiple investigations into the PFIPC continue.
The controversy began after allegations emerged that the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, where Adeyemi claimed to serve as Director-General, had no legal basis despite reportedly appearing in the 2025 Appropriation Act.
The matter later escalated following allegations of forgery, impersonation and conspiracy against Adeyemi, which he has denied.
The Federal High Court in Abuja is currently handling the criminal case arising from the allegations, while the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies continue their investigations.
As of the time this report was filed, neither Adeyemi nor his associates had publicly reacted to Falana’s withdrawal.
Meanwhile, human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, challenged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to release the full, unedited video of its interrogation of President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the PFIPC investigation.
Sowore made the demand on Tuesday in a post on X, dismissing the anti-graft agency’s explanation that Gbajabiamila merely honoured an invitation from investigators.
“If the ICPC truly interrogated Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, they should release the full, unedited video recording to the public now. All these gimmicks won’t work. We know this is just another smokescreen,”Sowore wrote.
His comments came after the ICPC denied reports that Gbajabiamila had been arrested over the PFIPC controversy.
The commission explained that the Chief of Staff voluntarily honoured an invitation and appeared at its headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
According to the ICPC, Gbajabiamila responded to questions relating to the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the PFIPC before making his statement and leaving the commission’s office.
