The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has interrogated Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, over his purported involvement in the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
According to Jiti Ogunye, Gbajabiamila’s counsel, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives presented himself at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja on Monday for questioning regarding the emergence and operations of the PFIPC.
The agency has been at the center of a storm of allegations involving forgery, bribery, and unauthorized budgetary allocations.The PFIPC saga erupted earlier this year when Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the council’s Director-General, accused Gbajabiamila of demanding bribes totaling N600 million—including N400 million allegedly paid through proxies—to facilitate his appointment. Adeyemi further alleged that Gbajabiamila sought 48% of the council’s N27.4 billion take-off grant, a demand he says he rejected.
Despite the Presidency’s repeated insistence that the PFIPC is a fictitious entity with no legal basis or presidential approval, documents reveal the council secured a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act. It reportedly operated from offices in the Federal Secretariat, maintained bank accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria, and engaged in activities including seeking diplomatic support for visas.
President Tinubu directed the ICPC in early July to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter, including the roles of any public officers, with a 30-day deadline for a report. The directive came amid growing public scrutiny and calls from civil society groups, including the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), for Gbajabiamila’s suspension pending the outcome.
Gbajabiamila has not publicly commented on the latest interrogation, and the ICPC has yet to issue an official statement on the proceedings. The Presidency previously described Adeyemi as a “con artist” facing criminal charges for forgery and impersonation, while denying any wrongdoing by senior officials.
This case tests the Tinubu administration’s commitment to transparency and anti-corruption, especially given Gbajabiamila’s pivotal role as the President’s most senior aide. Nigerians are watching closely as the ICPC’s findings could have far-reaching implications for governance and public trust.
