By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — The Coalition for Truth and Justice on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to immediately shut down the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), warning that allowing the controversial body to continue operating could expose Nigerians to further scams.

The coalition said the controversy goes beyond a dispute over titles or appointments. According to the group, the central issue is whether an organisation claiming to operate under the Presidency has any legal basis to exist after the Presidency publicly distanced itself from it.

At a briefing in Abuja, the coalition’s Convener, Chief Henry Abba, said repeated claims by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi that he is the Director General of PFIPC directly contradict the position of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who has publicly stated that no such council exists under the current administration and that no appointment was made in that regard.

The coalition also questioned the council’s legal status, its reported budgetary allocation and possible financial implications.

“Public institutions are not created by press releases, while presidential appointments are not validated by social media claims.

“Agencies of government are not brought into existence by strident personal insistence,” the coalition said.

The group said its review found no evidence that PFIPC was legally established, citing the absence of any record in the Federal Government Gazette, no evidence that members of the council were inaugurated or sworn in, and no verifiable appointment letter issued to Adeyemi through recognised government channels, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“An illegal structure does not become legal merely because it appears in some official-looking corner.

“A questionable entity does not become a lawful agency because it wrangled its way into a budget document,” the group added.

The coalition expressed particular concern over reports that PFIPC, or a combined Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, appeared in the 2026 Appropriation records under the Presidency with a budgetary allocation reportedly exceeding ₦1 billion.

It described the reported allocation as a serious contradiction that demands urgent investigation, warning that it could point to possible manipulation of the federal budget process.

The coalition raised nine questions, demanding answers from the relevant authorities.

It sought clarification on the legal instrument establishing PFIPC, whether any appointment letter was issued to Adeyemi, whether members of the council were ever inaugurated, and how the body found its way into the 2026 budget.

The group also asked whether public funds had been released or solicited in the council’s name, whether officials within government played any role in securing its apparent recognition, and whether attempts had been made to pressure or blackmail senior government officials into reversing the Presidency’s public disclaimer on the council.

It called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a comprehensive investigation into the origin, activities and financial dealings of PFIPC.

The coalition also urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to issue a formal clarification on the council’s status, called on the National Assembly to investigate the reported budgetary provision, and asked anti-corruption agencies to trace any funds released or allegedly solicited in the name of PFIPC.

The group further cautioned against any attempt to legitimise the council through the back door, warning that regularising an entity whose legal status remains in dispute would send the wrong signal and further entrench impunity in public administration.