EXCLUSIVE(SAHARA REPORTERS): Despite Presidency's Denial, 'Non-Existent' PFIPC Signage Persists at Federal Secretariat

A fresh twist has emerged in the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). Despite repeated denials from President Bola Tinubu's administration regarding the agency's existence, a physical signage directing individuals to the council's office remains mounted within the Federal Secretariat Complex, specifically on the floor of the Federal Ministry of Health.

According to an insider who spoke with SaharaReporters on Monday, the directional sign is still prominently displayed inside the ministry, guiding visitors towards the controversial council's supposed office. This revelation comes just one week after the Presidency, through President Tinubu's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, publicly distanced itself from the PFIPC. The Presidency's disavowal followed serious allegations made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the council's Executive Secretary.

Adeyemi had accused Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, of allegedly demanding 48 percent of the PFIPC's initial take-off grant, which Adeyemi stated was N27.4 billion. Furthermore, Adeyemi alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through an intermediary to facilitate his appointment as the Executive Secretary, with an outstanding balance of N200 million yet to be paid. In the wake of these accusations, the Presidency firmly denied the PFIPC's existence and any association with its activities.

However, official documents from the 2026 Appropriation Act present a contradictory narrative, indicating that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was allocated a substantial N1.3 billion. This budgetary provision further fuels questions regarding the true status of the agency. The source reiterated to SaharaReporters on Monday that the council's designated office is clearly identifiable within the Federal Ministry of Health.

The directional sign, painted in white and green, prominently features the Nigerian Coat of Arms in its upper right-hand corner. An arrow positioned at the bottom of the sign points towards the office where the council is purportedly situated. The inscription on the signage reads: "This way to office of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council."

SaharaReporters had previously reported that the Presidency had dismissed the council as a fraudulent and non-existent entity, accusing Adeyemi of forging an appointment letter, illicitly operating a fictitious presidential body, securing office space at the Federal Secretariat, and even opening a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account in the agency’s name. Yet, the Presidency's rebuttal failed to provide an explanation for how this supposedly 'non-existent' agency managed to appear in official government records, receive a budgetary allocation approved by the National Assembly, and ultimately secure the assent of President Tinubu.

Documents obtained by SaharaReporters unequivocally show that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was indeed allocated ₦1,302,978,784 in the 2026 Appropriation Act, which President Tinubu signed into law. Adeyemi, in turn, has challenged how an agency that the Presidency claims does not exist could find its way into official government documentation, establish both a domiciliary account and a Treasury Single Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria, and subsequently receive a budgetary allocation approved by the National Assembly and assented to by President Tinubu.

In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Adeyemi remarked: "Where Chief of Staff to the President has meritoriously served for a good 20 years and rose from Minority Leader, Majority Leader and Speaker for four years, becoming the number four citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria." He continued, posing critical questions: "So the question becomes unavoidable. At what point in the process did reference to a non-existent agency allegedly enter the official record? And if they are indeed present in official documentation, what does that imply about the integrity of the process that produced and approved those documents?" Adeyemi concluded by stating, "For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assent his signature to a budget that includes a non-existent agency according to his Chief of Staff is an embarrassment to this hardworking government."