The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to explain the actions taken by his office after it was alerted to the activities of the unestablished council in October 2025.
The committee also warned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that continued failure to honour its summons could attract constitutional sanctions.
At its sitting on Tuesday, the panel, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, directed Ribadu to appear before it on Wednesday to explain what steps the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) took after determining that the PFIPC was unknown to the Federal Government.
The committee also insisted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, must personally appear before lawmakers to clarify issues arising from submissions made by her ministry.
It declared Wednesday the final opportunity for defaulting institutions to comply voluntarily, warning that any agency that failed to appear with the required officials and documents would face sanctions available to the House under the Constitution.
The summons followed testimony by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umar Ahmed, who told the committee that the ministry alerted the Office of the National Security Adviser after identifying discrepancies in documents submitted by the PFIPC.
Ahmed said the organisation’s self-acclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, approached the ministry on three occasions seeking collaboration and endorsement to host a World Investment Summit in Nigeria.
According to him, the ministry rejected all three requests after conducting due diligence and subsequently wrote to the NSA on 16 October 2025 seeking clarification on Adeyemi’s claim to head the council.
He told lawmakers that the NSA’s office replied on 26 November 2025, stating that enquiries with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President established that neither Adeyemi nor the PFIPC was recognised by the Federal Government.
Ahmed said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs never engaged with the PFIPC, facilitated any diplomatic activities on its behalf, signed any agreements involving the council or directed Nigerian missions abroad to recognise it.
Reacting to the submission, Gagdi questioned why stronger action was not taken after the council was found to have no legal status.
He said the committee wanted the NSA’s office to explain what measures were taken after confirming that the organisation was not a government agency.
In a statement issued after the hearing, the committee described the continued absence of some MDAs as “a serious affront” to the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives.
It stressed that invitations issued by a duly constituted committee were legally binding under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, warning that any institution that deliberately obstructed the investigation would face all constitutional and statutory sanctions available to the House.
The committee had earlier invited the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Federal Character Commission and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission over issues relating to the council’s operations and funding.
During Monday’s proceedings, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation admitted it failed to adequately verify documents submitted by the council before issuing an authorised establishment, while the Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed that it opened two foreign currency accounts for the council on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although the accounts were never operated.
The committee said its investigation was aimed at establishing how the PFIPC allegedly secured official recognition across government institutions and received an allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite lacking legal backing.
The controversy arose after the Presidency disowned both the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), maintaining that neither body was established by the Federal Government. It also accused Adeyemi of using forged government documents to obtain official recognition from public institutions.
Falana yet to confirm reported withdrawal
Meanwhile, fresh uncertainty has emerged over the legal representation of Adeyemi following reports that Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, may have withdrawn from his defence.
Sources familiar with the matter, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said Falana had stepped back from the case after difficulties in obtaining documents required for the defence.
Adeyemi was arrested after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court issued a bench warrant on 14 July 2026 when he failed to appear for arraignment. He was subsequently apprehended in Osun State.
As of press time, neither Falana nor his law firm had confirmed the reported withdrawal, and efforts to obtain their comments were unsuccessful.
The case has been adjourned until 30 September 2026.
Separately, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) dismissed reports that the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, was arrested in connection with the investigation.
In a statement, ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare said Gbajabiamila voluntarily honoured an invitation from investigators, responded to questions and left afterwards.
The commission said its investigation into the PFIPC controversy was continuing.
President Bola Tinubu had directed the ICPC on 2 July to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter and submit its findings within 30 days.
Human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, called on the ICPC to release the full video of Gbajabiamila’s interrogation, arguing that this would enhance public confidence in the investigation.
Also reacting, lawyer and public affairs analyst Maxwell Okpara said Gbajabiamila, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Esther Walson-Jack, should be treated as suspects if evidence warranted it, insisting that no public official was above the law.
