Blessing Fali
Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, has insisted that his lawyers and members of the media must be present before he submits to questioning by the House of Representatives committee investigating the council.
Adeyemi is expected to appear before the House Ad Hoc Committee this week as lawmakers continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the establishment and activities of the PFIPC.
The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, is investigating how the council allegedly obtained office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and secured a budgetary allocation of more than N1.32 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite questions over its legal status.
The controversy surrounding the PFIPC has attracted widespread public attention, particularly over how an organisation the Presidency has said does not have legal recognition was able to operate within government structures and appear in official budget documents.
The House of Representatives had earlier inaugurated the ad hoc committee to establish the circumstances surrounding the council’s inclusion in the national budget and determine how government institutions interacted with the organisation.
Several senior government officials have already appeared before the committee and provided information about the council.
Among those who have testified are the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack; Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu; Director of Banking Services at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Hamisu Abdullahi; as well as representatives of the Inspector-General of Police.
Their testimonies have raised questions about how Adeyemi allegedly presented himself as the head of the PFIPC and gained access and recognition within some government institutions.
The Budget Office previously told lawmakers that although funds were appropriated for the disputed council, the statutory conditions required for the release and spending of the money were not fulfilled. It said no personnel, overhead or capital funds were actually spent on the agency.
The House committee had also heard that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation did not allocate office space or deploy personnel to the PFIPC, despite reports that the council operated from premises within the Federal Secretariat Complex.
The development has consequently raised concerns about possible weaknesses in Nigeria’s public financial management system and the processes through which individuals or organisations gain access to government facilities and official channels.
Adeyemi, who is currently in police custody over allegations connected to the controversy, has through his legal representatives expressed willingness to answer questions from the lawmakers.
However, his lawyers have objected to any arrangement that would see him questioned privately or without legal representation.
His lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, reportedly argued that his client should be allowed to appear before the committee publicly, particularly because allegations concerning the PFIPC have already been discussed extensively in public.
Adeyemi’s family has also indicated that he declined to answer questions when members of the House committee visited him in custody because his lawyers were not present.
According to the family, Adeyemi told the lawmakers that he would only submit to questioning if his legal representatives and journalists were allowed to attend the proceedings.
The committee has yet to announce the venue for the planned questioning.
A source familiar with the committee’s proceedings confirmed that, as of Sunday, no decision had been reached on where Adeyemi would be questioned.
The issue of Adeyemi’s appearance has become an important part of the ongoing investigation, particularly as lawmakers seek to hear directly from the individual at the centre of the controversy.
Earlier, the House committee directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi before the panel within 48 hours. The police, however, said it could not release him because he remained in custody under a valid order of the Federal High Court.
The controversy has also taken a legal dimension. Adeyemi is facing criminal charges relating to alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation in connection with the disputed agency, while the Presidency has rejected his claims regarding the status of the PFIPC.
The Presidency has described Adeyemi as an impostor and alleged that he forged official documents and presented himself as the head of an agency that does not legally exist.
Adeyemi, however, has continued to maintain that the PFIPC was not created by him alone and has argued that various government institutions interacted with the organisation and processed documents connected to its activities.
His legal team has also maintained that excluding him from the House investigation would undermine the credibility of the eventual findings, insisting that he should be given an opportunity to personally respond to the allegations against him.
The House committee is expected to determine how and where Adeyemi will appear before it as the investigation continues.
The outcome of the probe could determine how the disputed council found its way into government structures and the 2026 budget, as well as whether officials or institutions failed in their responsibilities.
The investigation is being closely watched because of the broader questions it raises about accountability, oversight, budgetary controls and the protection of government institutions from fraudulent or unauthorised activities.
As the House continues its inquiry, attention is now focused on whether Adeyemi will appear before the committee and whether his demand for the presence of his lawyers and journalists will be accepted.
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