Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson and actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has criticised the National Assembly’s handling of the ongoing investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, should be invited to testify before lawmakers to ensure a credible and transparent probe.
Okonkwo made the remarks amid growing public scrutiny of the National Assembly’s investigation into the alleged operations of the PFIPC, an entity the Presidency has described as non-existent and fraudulent. The scandal has dominated national discourse following allegations that the purported agency operated from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and even secured a budgetary allocation despite lacking legal backing.
According to Okonkwo, any investigation that fails to hear directly from key individuals mentioned in the allegations risks undermining public confidence in the outcome. He argued that for the probe to be seen as fair and comprehensive, Gbajabiamila should personally appear before the relevant National Assembly committee to answer questions regarding claims made against him.
The former presidential campaign spokesman maintained that no public official should be exempt from legislative scrutiny, stressing that accountability and due process are essential to preserving the integrity of public institutions.
The PFIPC controversy began after Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the purported agency, alleged that Gbajabiamila received money in exchange for facilitating his appointment and demanded a share of the agency’s proposed take-off funds. Gbajabiamila has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as false and defamatory, and has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi.
President Tinubu subsequently directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter. As part of the probe, Gbajabiamila honoured an invitation from the anti-graft agency on July 20, where he answered investigators’ questions before returning to his official duties. The ICPC later clarified that he was not arrested but voluntarily responded to its invitation.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has continued its own inquiry into how the purported agency operated within government facilities and obtained public funding despite lacking legal recognition. The probe seeks to establish how the PFIPC was able to function as a government body and identify any officials who may have facilitated its activities.
The ICPC investigation remains ongoing, with the anti-corruption agency expected to determine whether any criminal conduct occurred and recommend appropriate action based on its findings.
