By Ade Oyeyemi
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said investigations by security and anti-corruption agencies cleared him of wrongdoing in the controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
Gbajabiamila spoke on Saturday during the 2026 Gbaja Mega Empowerment Programme in Lagos, saying the Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission had investigated the allegations against him.
“At the end of all the investigations, the Nigerian Police, the DSS, the ICPC cleared me of any wrongdoing,” the former Speaker of the House of Representatives said.
The controversy erupted after Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the purported council, made allegations linking Gbajabiamila to his appointment and alleged financial dealings involving the organisation.
Adeyemi had claimed that the Chief of Staff demanded a percentage of a proposed N27.3bn grant and alleged that N400m was paid through a proxy, with another N200m allegedly outstanding. Gbajabiamila denied the allegations and subsequently instituted legal action against Adeyemi over alleged defamation.
The ICPC, which was directed by President Tinubu to investigate the controversy, later said it found no evidence connecting Gbajabiamila to Adeyemi’s appointment. The commission also reported that the purported PFIPC was not established by any law, executive order or other valid government instrument.
Similarly, the House of Representatives committee investigating the matter said its preliminary findings showed that Gbajabiamila neither authorised nor approved the establishment or operation of the purported organisation. The committee also said the appointment letter allegedly used by Adeyemi was fabricated.
Gbajabiamila’s latest comments come after he had appeared before the ICPC in July in response to an invitation from investigators probing how the purported council operated for about two years despite lacking legal recognition. The ICPC said at the time that he was not arrested and that investigations were ongoing.
