Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, will inaugurate an ad hoc committee on Monday to investigate the controversial inclusion of the unestablished Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The inauguration and public hearing will hold at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. Lawmakers are conducting the investigation under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Committee to investigate N1.32bn allocation
Yusuf Gagdi, who represents Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, will chair the panel.
The House created the committee two weeks ago after members adopted a resolution during plenary.
Lawmakers want the panel to determine how officials allocated about N1.32 billion to the PFIPC even though no law established the agency.
Arrest of alleged fake DG triggers probe
The investigation followed the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
Investigators accuse him of arranging the agency’s inclusion in the 2026 budget despite its lack of legal backing.
The controversy grew after Adeniyi allegedly claimed he paid N100 million through intermediaries to the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate the agency’s establishment.
However, the Presidency and the Office of the Chief of Staff have both denied the allegation.
Panel invites senior government officials
According to an invitation signed by Gagdi, the committee invited several top government officials to the hearing.
Those expected include the Ministers of Budget and Economic Planning, Finance, Industry, Trade and Investment, Justice, and Foreign Affairs.
The committee also invited the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Auditor-General for the Federation and the Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
In addition, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Director-General of the Department of State Services and the Inspector-General of Police will appear before the panel.
Furthermore, the committee asked civil society organisations, professional bodies, development partners, relevant stakeholders and members of the public to submit memoranda.
Panel to trace budget process
The lawmakers will examine how the PFIPC entered the 2026 budget despite lacking legal status.
They will also trace the allocation from the executive proposal through the legislative process. The exercise aims to identify where officials inserted the provision.
Exclusion of Gbajabiamila sparks criticism
Meanwhile, the committee did not invite Gbajabiamila or Adeniyi to testify. Their exclusion has attracted criticism from some observers.
A member of the committee, who spoke anonymously, questioned the decision.
The lawmaker said:
“From the notice, you will see that the two central figures are not invited. I mean Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi. There is an obvious attempt to exempt Gbajabiamila, and that is an attempt by the committee to clear him. From the notice of invitation, there is already a bias.”
Analyst questions credibility of investigation
Public affairs analyst Jackson Ojo also faulted the committee’s approach. He argued that excluding the President’s Chief of Staff could weaken public confidence in the probe.
He said:
“The committee is starting on the wrong footing. They should have invited the Chief of Staff to clear his name.”
Ojo added:
“As important as the invited government officials are to the investigation, they are not as important as Gbajabiamila. The man taken into custody mentioned the Chief of Staff. So, why is he not part of those to field questions from the lawmakers?”
The House constituted the committee after concerns grew over alleged irregularities in the 2026 budget. The controversy centres on the allocation of more than N1 billion to an agency that the Federal Government insists does not legally exist.
Read also: PFIPC case: Court orders Adeyemi’s arrest after missing arraignment
