Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has revealed how he was deceived into meeting the man claiming to be the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), saying the group appeared genuine because it used official-looking documents bearing the Presidency’s insignia and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat.
Kalu made the disclosure on Wednesday during plenary while supporting a motion calling for a full investigation into the activities of the alleged council, which has been at the centre of a growing controversy over its inclusion in the 2026 federal budget despite the Presidency’s insistence that no such government agency exists.
The Deputy Speaker admitted that he was among those misled by the organisation’s apparent legitimacy and said the incident exposed serious gaps in the verification of organisations claiming links to the Federal Government.
Speaking before lawmakers, Kalu described the development as embarrassing and warned that individuals were now confidently presenting themselves as officials of government agencies that had no legal existence.
“I rise this morning to support the motion that has been properly moved by my friend and brother from Plateau State. It is quite embarrassing that people have the kind of boldness exhibited, moving around with what is not in existence, carrying themselves as if they are a legal entity,” he said.
Kalu explained that the encounter began after his office received a letter dated May 2, 2025, requesting a meeting.
According to him, the letter carried the official insignia of the Presidency and identified the sender as the Director-General of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
He said the combination of the two titles under one office immediately raised questions, but other details contained in the correspondence appeared convincing.
“On the 2nd of May, 2025, my office got a letter. That letter had the Presidency on top of the letterhead. It had the Office of the Director General, the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. Two councils under one DG,” Kalu told the House.
The Deputy Speaker said he carefully examined the document and found that it listed an office address at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase 3, Central Business District, Abuja, as well as a government-style website, making the organisation appear legitimate.
“When I saw this, I looked down at the letterhead. I saw the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase 3, 2nd Floor, Central Business District. I also saw the website, pfipc.gov.ng. It was a bit confusing for me. Some of the information looked credible, some did not,” he said.
Rather than relying solely on the contents of the letter, Kalu said he instructed members of his staff to verify the existence of the office before approving any meeting.
According to him, his team visited the address provided and confirmed that the organisation was operating from the location.
“I sent my team to go and verify the existence of this organisation at the said address. They came back confirming that this organisation was in the said location. I then gave approval for them to come and have the interaction they had written for,” he said.
Kalu said the group had requested the meeting to discuss issues relating to the ongoing constitutional amendment process, economic governance, legislative reforms and ways of promoting foreign investment through collaboration with the National Assembly.
The proposal, he noted, appeared relevant to the work of the House and gave no immediate reason for suspicion.
“They said they wanted to discuss the 10th House of Representatives Constitution Amendment process and its implications for economic governance, legislative priorities that can enhance investor confidence, and areas of collaboration between the National Assembly and the Council to drive foreign investment,” he said.
However, Kalu said the meeting quickly took an unexpected turn.
Instead of discussing the issues outlined in their letter, he said the visitors focused mainly on taking photographs and did not engage in any meaningful conversation about constitutional reforms or investment policies.
“When they came and started engaging, the issues they mentioned in the letter were not what they engaged on. They did not talk about the Constitution that we were amending. They were more about photo taking,” he added.
The Deputy Speaker said the experience demonstrated that official-looking documents could no longer be accepted as proof that an organisation was legally recognised by the government.
He stressed the need for public officials and government institutions to strengthen their verification processes before engaging with groups claiming government affiliation.
“This goes on to show that a beautiful letterhead that has the Presidency is no longer confirmation that an agency is legal. It goes to show that an address that shows Federal Secretariat does not mean that that particular agency is legal,” Kalu said.
He urged lawmakers to support the motion seeking a full investigation into the alleged council, insisting that Parliament had a constitutional duty to uncover the truth and protect public institutions from fraud.
“It is our duty, based on Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, to dig deeper into this matter. I urge members to support this motion for the House to show Nigerians that we are in support of transparency and accountability in governance,” he said.
The House later adopted the motion and resolved to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial agency and its alleged allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
An ad hoc committee was mandated to invite the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Director-General of the Budget Office and other relevant officials to explain how the agency was included in the national budget.
The committee is also expected to receive briefings from security and anti-corruption agencies while ensuring that its work does not interfere with ongoing court proceedings related to the matter.
The PFIPC controversy has attracted nationwide attention after its alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, insisted that the agency was lawfully established and that he had been properly appointed.
Adeyemi has also made allegations against the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, claims that have been strongly denied by the Presidency.
The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency and described Adeyemi as an impostor who allegedly forged appointment documents, impersonated a public official and operated under a non-existent government institution.
Police investigations have already resulted in criminal charges against Adeyemi and two others, while Gbajabiamila has threatened a ₦10 billion defamation suit over allegations made against him.
The controversy took another turn after President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate how the alleged agency was inserted into the 2026 Appropriation Act despite not being recognised by the Federal Government.
The President also ordered that anyone found responsible for the alleged budget insertion should be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The investigation is expected to determine how the disputed agency found its way into the national budget, whether public officials played any role in the process and what measures are needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.