THE SOCIALIST Labour has called for an independent forensic investigation into the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the matter as a major governance scandal that requires full public scrutiny.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Biodun Olamosu, Socialist Labour, a left-leaning labour group, alleged that the controversy reflects broader concerns about governance, accountability and the exercise of public authority under the current administration.
It argued that the allegations surrounding the agency should not be dismissed without a comprehensive investigation.
According to the group, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the purported Director-General of PFIPC had alleged that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, facilitated his appointment and that he paid N400 million out of an agreed N600 million to secure the position.
The group noted that these allegations remain unproven and maintained that Adeyemi’s role should also be examined by an independent panel of inquiry.
The group further stated that Adeyemi has maintained that the PFIPC is not a fake agency, arguing that if this claim is substantiated, it would raise significant questions about the process through which the agency was established and operated.
According to the statement, the agency had allegedly functioned for about two years and received recognition from several government institutions, including the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The party also claimed that the agency was included in the 2026 national budget with an allocation of N1.303 billion.
Socialist Labour also cited allegations by Adeyemi that a disagreement arose after he allegedly refused a demand for 48 per cent of the agency’s proposed take-off grant, reportedly valued at N27.4 billion.
According to the statement, this dispute allegedly led to the subsequent denial of the agency’s legitimacy.
The statement questioned the circumstances under which the agency came to be regarded as illegitimate after allegedly operating with official recognition. It further claimed that available information suggests the PFIPC may have originated as one of several ad hoc agencies established by a previous administration but was not formally institutionalised. It also argued that any attempt to operationalise such an agency outside established administrative procedures should be thoroughly investigated.
The statement also expressed concern over what it described as the sidelining of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in matters relating to the establishment and administration of government agencies, alleging that such responsibilities had been usurped by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Socialist Labour urged the Federal Government to publish all documents relating to the establishment, funding, staffing and operations of the PFIPC. It also called for a forensic, independent and public investigation into the entire affair.
Pending the outcome of such an investigation, the group called on all senior public officials whose offices are alleged to have been involved in the approval, funding or administration of the agency, including the Chief of Staff to the President, to step aside or be suspended to ensure the integrity of the investigative process.
