Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director-General of the unrecognized Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, has pledged to hand over all relevant documentation to the police and the Department of State Services. His announcement follows President Bola Tinubu’s order for a 30-day investigation into how the council, which the government maintains is fraudulent, obtained a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 budget.
The National Assembly is currently split on the best approach to handle the controversy. The House of Representatives has launched its own ad hoc committee to track how this entity bypassed fiscal oversight to secure funding. Conversely, the Senate has paused its inquiry, opting to wait for the results of the executive-led investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have criticized the President’s directive, arguing that the executive branch should not oversee an investigation into a scandal where high-level officials may be implicated. Atiku urged for an independent panel including members from the Nigerian Bar Association and civil society, asserting that an internal probe lacks the necessary impartiality. The ADC further condemned the reported arrest of Adeyemi’s father, characterizing the move as an attempt to intimidate witnesses rather than seek the truth.
During an online interview, Adeyemi expressed confusion over the budget allocation, noting he was in detention during the period the documents were allegedly prepared. Lawmakers in the House, led by Yusuf Gagdi, highlighted the severity of the security breach, emphasizing that the council had successfully interacted with foreign missions while operating out of the Federal Secretariat. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu admitted that even his office was deceived by the group’s official-looking documentation. The Senate, led by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, maintains that the ICPC process must be completed before the chamber decides on further legislative action.
