Fake Agency Scandal: Gbajabiamila Says He Never Betrayed Tinubu’s Trust

Fake Agency Scandal: Gbajabiamila Says He Never Betrayed Tinubu’s Trust

Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) subjected him to an unexpected test but did not lead him to betray the trust placed in him by the President.

Gbajabiamila made the remarks while speaking at his 2026 Mega Empowerment Programme at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, where he addressed allegations that had linked him to the activities of the purported government agency.

He said the controversy generated accusations, attacks and questions about his integrity but maintained that investigations by relevant government authorities had not established his involvement in the activities of the organisation.

“The past few months have tested me in ways I never expected. Stories were written, strange accusations were made, lies were told, and my integrity was questioned,” Gbajabiamila said.

The controversy centres on Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the purported PFIPC and made allegations linking Gbajabiamila to his appointment.

Adeyemi had claimed that the Chief of Staff was involved in his appointment and made other allegations concerning the purported agency’s finances. Gbajabiamila denied the allegations and maintained that he neither appointed Adeyemi nor authorised the activities of the organisation.

The Presidency later disowned the PFIPC, stating that the organisation had no legal basis as a Federal Government agency.

President Tinubu subsequently directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter, including how the purported agency operated within government structures and how official-looking documents were used to support its activities.

Gbajabiamila appeared before the ICPC in July to answer questions as part of the investigation.

The ICPC subsequently submitted an interim report to President Tinubu, stating that its investigation found no evidence linking Gbajabiamila to Adeyemi’s appointment or to the purported PFIPC.

The commission said Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government or any government authority and that the purported PFIPC was not created by any law, executive order or other valid government instrument.

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The ICPC also said the purported appointment letter, gazette and other official-looking documents used to support the existence of the organisation were forged.

Investigators found that the purported appointment letter dated March 2024 was presented on fake State House letterhead and falsely attributed a signature to Gbajabiamila. The commission said its review of official records found no evidence that the letter originated from the Office of the Chief of Staff.

The ICPC further said there was no record of official correspondence involving Adeyemi or the PFIPC in the Chief of Staff’s correspondence systems during the period examined.

The commission recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi for alleged offences including forgery and impersonation, while also recommending administrative sanctions against public officers whose actions, omissions or negligence may have facilitated the operation of the purported organisation.

The anti-corruption agency, however, said its investigation was continuing to establish whether other individuals participated in or facilitated the alleged scheme.

The House of Representatives also investigated the controversy through an ad hoc committee chaired by Yusuf Gagdi.

In its preliminary findings, the committee said it found no evidence that Gbajabiamila authorised, approved, established or participated in the activities of the purported organisation.

The committee said evidence before it indicated that Gbajabiamila took steps to alert security and investigative agencies and initiate administrative verification after concerns about the organisation were brought to his attention.

House investigators also concluded that the purported appointment letter bearing Gbajabiamila’s name was not authentic State House correspondence.

The committee said the document’s letterhead, reference number, format and administrative features differed from genuine State House documents and that evidence obtained during the investigation showed that the Presidency had neither issued nor approved Adeyemi’s purported appointment.

The lawmakers also examined a purported presidential executive order and a document presented as an Act of the National Assembly establishing the organisation.

The committee said preliminary evidence indicated that neither document was authentic, adding that the purported parliamentary legislation had not passed through the required legislative process or been gazetted as an Act of the Federation.

The investigation has also expanded into the financial activities allegedly connected to Adeyemi.

The House panel said it identified about 58 bank accounts linked through Bank Verification Number and other identifying information associated with Adeyemi. More than 30 of the accounts were reportedly connected to about nine agencies, companies, foundations or related entities.

The committee stressed that the existence of the accounts did not, by itself, establish that every account or transaction was unlawful, saying investigators were still reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information and transaction histories.

The panel said it was also examining how the purported organisation gained access to government facilities, official-looking documentation, administrative processes and other structures despite the absence of a valid legal instrument establishing it.

According to the committee, about 39 people were presented or represented as employees of the purported organisation.

The House investigation was triggered by concerns over the appearance of the purported organisation in the 2026 Federal Government budget framework, including an allocation associated with the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

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The committee said it was still determining whether any appropriation, warrant, cash backing or actual release of funds was made to the purported organisation.

The ICPC, meanwhile, said it found no evidence that Federal Government funds were approved or disbursed to the purported PFIPC or its operators.

The commission said the organisation allegedly appropriated the identity and office facilities previously associated with the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

It also said its investigation uncovered two other purported fictitious agencies allegedly connected to the scheme and identified weaknesses in government verification procedures and inter-agency oversight.

The findings have consequently shifted attention beyond the allegations against Gbajabiamila to broader questions about government document verification, official correspondence, agency authentication, public-sector oversight and access to government facilities.

House committee chairman Gagdi has also stressed that the investigation was not designed solely around Gbajabiamila or Adeyemi.

He said the panel investigated everyone connected to the controversy and focused on establishing how an organisation that lacked legal backing was able to penetrate government systems and become associated with the federal budget and public institutions.

The House panel has emphasised that its findings are preliminary and do not represent the final position of the National Assembly. It said further work was required to establish individual and institutional responsibilities and determine appropriate administrative, civil, financial or criminal action where necessary.

Adeyemi, who is facing separate legal proceedings connected to the controversy, has denied wrongdoing and challenged some of the allegations against him.

Gbajabiamila, meanwhile, said the controversy would not distract him from carrying out his responsibilities as Chief of Staff.

“No amount of money, no amount of blackmail or lies, whether sponsored from within or outside, will detract me from my work and the work Mr President has given me to do,” he said.

He also reaffirmed his political loyalty to Tinubu, saying that even where the President’s political decisions had not always reflected his personal preferences, he remained committed to the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.

“In politics, loyalty is the currency we spend the most,” Gbajabiamila said.

The PFIPC scandal has therefore developed into a broader investigation into alleged document forgery, impersonation, financial activities and weaknesses within government verification systems, while the ICPC’s interim findings and the House committee’s preliminary report have found no evidence linking Gbajabiamila to the establishment or operation of the purported agency.

Further investigations and legal proceedings are expected to determine the responsibility of individuals and institutions allegedly connected to the controversy.

Fake Agency Scandal: Gbajabiamila Says He Never Betrayed Tinubu’s Trust