Self-appointed DG insists lawyers and journalists must be present as lawmakers probe how alleged fake agency secured ₦1.32bn budget allocation.
The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has yet to decide where it will question the council’s self-appointed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
A source familiar with the committee’s proceedings disclosed this on Sunday, amid Adeyemi’s insistence that his lawyers and journalists must be present before he submits to questioning.
The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, is investigating how the PFIPC allegedly secured office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and received more than ₦1.32 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite claims that the council has no legal foundation.
Adeyemi, who remains in police custody, is expected to appear before the committee after lawmakers heard from several senior government officials.
Asked whether a venue had been selected for the session, the source simply said, “No decision yet.”
The committee has already questioned officials including the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack; Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu; Director of Banking Services at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Hamisu Abdullahi; and representatives of the Inspector-General of Police.
Their testimonies reportedly raised questions about how Adeyemi allegedly presented himself as the head of the PFIPC and gained access to government institutions.
Adeyemi had, through his lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, expressed willingness to appear before the committee but objected to being questioned behind closed doors.
Oyedokun said his client should be allowed to respond publicly to allegations that had already been made against him in public.
“Everyone else in this matter has been heard in public, and what has been said about our client was said in public. He should be allowed to answer in the same place it was said,” the lawyer said.
However, the committee said it would determine the venue for Adeyemi’s appearance while respecting the ongoing police, EFCC and ICPC investigations.
Gagdi explained that lawmakers could not override a court order under which Adeyemi remains in police custody.
Adeyemi subsequently declined to answer questions when the committee attempted to interrogate him in police custody, prompting the lawmakers to reschedule the session.
A family source said Adeyemi had informed the committee that he would only submit to questioning if journalists and his legal representatives were allowed to attend.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has criticised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s handling of the PFIPC investigation, describing the process as inadequate.
CUPP spokesperson Agu Bryan questioned how Adeyemi could allegedly operate a fictitious government agency, secure office space and influence government processes without assistance from officials within government institutions.
He called for a broader investigation into the roles allegedly played by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and other agencies.
Bryan also questioned how more than ₦1.32 billion was included in the 2026 national budget for an organisation that allegedly lacked a legal foundation.
“The National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, which appropriated funds to an agency that, according to the investigation, never existed as a creation of law, also owes Nigerians an explanation,” he said.
CUPP further urged the authorities to establish how Adeyemi allegedly gained access to government processes, whether other officials enabled his activities and whether other documents and signatures associated with the PFIPC were forged.
The controversy intensified after investigators reportedly established that a signature attributed to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was forged.
The House committee is expected to hear directly from Adeyemi as it seeks to establish how the PFIPC was created, how it gained official recognition, who processed its requests and how public funds were appropriated to the organisation.
His eventual appearance before the lawmakers could help determine whether the alleged activities were carried out solely by Adeyemi or involved officials and institutions within government.