Jul 20, 2026

Tinubu Government’s Verification System Crumbles in Major PFIPC Scandal

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in news

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Abuja, Nigeria—July 20, 2026—In a stunning revelation that has shaken confidence in Nigeria’s federal bureaucracy, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Esther Walson-Jack, has openly admitted shortcomings in the government’s document verification processes amid the growing scandal surrounding the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The controversy centers on a purported federal agency that secured office space in the Federal Secretariat, opened accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), received staff secondments, and even landed a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act—despite the Presidency’s insistence that no such body exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

During a hearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the matter, Walson-Jack conceded that officials in her office failed to rigorously authenticate documents submitted by the PFIPC, including a purported enabling Act.

Committee member Hassan Fulata pressed on why the Office of the Head of Civil Service accepted the materials without proper verification under the Acts Authentication Act.

“We concede that we didn’t do the best we ought to have done in cross-checking those documents,” Walson-Jack stated, explaining that the officers handling the files were not lawyers and missed red flags. She only personally reviewed the documents after the scandal erupted.

The HoS announced ongoing reviews of standard operating procedures to introduce multiple layers of verification, including legal expertise, for future submissions.

The scandal has thrust Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila into the spotlight. The self-proclaimed PFIPC Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi (also referred to as Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew), has alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded bribes — including ₦400 million received via proxy and a further demand for 48% of a proposed ₦27.4 billion take-off grant — in connection with the council.

Gbajabiamila has strongly denied any involvement, threatened a ₦10 billion defamation suit, and stated he never met Adeyemi.

President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a full investigation, with a report expected within 30 days.

The House of Representatives is actively probing how the phantom agency infiltrated the budget process, while the Senate has deferred deeper action pending ICPC findings.

CBN officials further revealed that two foreign currency accounts were opened for the PFIPC on instructions from the Office of the Accountant-General, though they were never funded or used.

Critics argue the episode exposes systemic vulnerabilities in how new entities gain legitimacy, from appointment letters to budget inclusion.

This is not the first time questions have arisen about due diligence in the Tinubu administration, but the PFIPC affair stands out for its reach across multiple high-level institutions—from the Budget Office and civil service to the legislature.

Civil society groups and opposition voices have called for broader accountability, questioning how a non-existent agency operated for months with apparent official backing.

As the probes unfold, Nigerians are watching closely to see whether this represents an isolated lapse or a deeper rot in governance safeguards.

The HoS’s candid admission signals at least an initial willingness to address procedural weaknesses, but restoring public trust will require transparent outcomes and tangible reforms