PFIPC Scandal: Tinubu, Wike, Akume Listed as Board Members, Reps Demand Answers

BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has raised fresh concerns over documents allegedly listing President Bola Tinubu and several top government officials as members of the organisation’s governing board.

Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, raised the alarm on Thursday during an investigative hearing at which the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, was questioned over the issuance of seven official vehicle number plates to the PFIPC.

Lawmakers questioned why the FRSC approved the number plates despite apparent irregularities in documents submitted by the organisation. Gagdi said the purported governing board listed President Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as well as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Attorney-General of the Federation and several ministers.

According to him, the list included the ministers responsible for finance, aviation, agriculture and food security, interior, budget and national planning, marine and blue economy, police affairs, transport, works and power. He argued that the unusual composition should have prompted the FRSC to independently verify the organisation’s status with the Presidency and other relevant authorities before granting its request.

Gagdi also questioned why the FRSC accepted a purported mandate from an organisation whose documents allegedly lacked official government security features. “We are trying to expose the leakages so that agencies can close these gaps going forward. It is not to indict anybody,” he said.

Mohammed, however, defended the FRSC, insisting that the agency followed its standard operating procedures. He said the PFIPC submitted its application on April 4, 2025, followed by a reminder on April 11, both signed by Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi. The documents purportedly established the council, outlined its mandate and governing structure, and provided details of the vehicles for which number plates were requested.

The Corps Marshal said the FRSC further examined the organisation’s website, which operated on a federal government domain, and visited its office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. He said the website, office and other documents created the impression that the PFIPC was a legitimate government institution, while the agency also verified the vehicles’ chassis numbers before issuing the plates.

Mohammed said the FRSC was subsequently shocked to discover that the PFIPC was not an authorised federal government agency. He disclosed that the agency had commenced the recovery of all number plates issued to the organisation and tightened its verification procedures to prevent a recurrence.

The controversy follows an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which recommended the prosecution of Adeniyi, accused of operating the purported agency. Adeniyi had claimed that his appointment letter was issued by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, but Gbajabiamila denied the allegation.

The ICPC cleared the Presidency and the Central Bank of Nigeria of wrongdoing but identified institutional lapses in several government agencies, including the offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office and the National Information Technology Development Agency. The latest revelations have now intensified scrutiny of how the PFIPC gained access to government platforms and official privileges despite not being a recognised federal agenc

ADVERTISEMENTS