Reps Give Defaulting MDAs 48 Hours to Comply in PFIPC Probe

• Lawmakers warned that agencies ignoring summons risk constitutional sanctions.

• The committee insisted the probe is aimed at protecting public institutions and the rule of law.

• Fresh twists emerged as Femi Falana withdrew from Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi’s legal team.

The House of Representatives has issued a final 48-hour ultimatum to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that have failed to cooperate with its investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), warning that continued defiance would attract constitutional sanctions.

The ultimatum came as lawmakers intensified scrutiny of the alleged council, whose legal status has remained under question amid claims that it operated as a government institution despite lacking a clear legal foundation.

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Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee, Yusuf Gagdi, said agencies that ignored invitations from the National Assembly were undermining its constitutional oversight responsibilities and frustrating efforts to uncover the truth surrounding the organisation.

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Describing the refusal of some MDAs to honour invitations as unacceptable, Gagdi said the committee would not tolerate actions capable of weakening parliamentary authority.

“The committee views this conduct as a serious affront to the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives and an unacceptable disregard for the authority of the parliament, which represents the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” he said.

He reminded public institutions that invitations from committees of the House are backed by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution and are therefore legally binding.

“It must be clearly understood that invitations issued by a duly constituted Committee of the House of Representatives are not matters of discretion. They are issued pursuant to the constitutional powers vested in the National Assembly under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Compliance is therefore a legal obligation, not an act of courtesy,” Gagdi stated.

The committee directed all defaulting agencies to appear before it on Thursday with the required officials and documents, describing the sitting as their final opportunity to comply voluntarily.

“Thursday is the final opportunity for every defaulting agency to comply voluntarily with the lawful directives of this Committee,” he warned.

He added that agencies that failed to appear without lawful justification would face the full weight of the law.

“Any ministry, department or agency that fails to appear without lawful justification will leave the committee with no alternative but to invoke every constitutional and statutory power available to the House of Representatives to compel compliance and ensure accountability,” he said.

Gagdi maintained that the investigation was not intended to witch-hunt any individual or institution but to establish facts and safeguard public administration.

“This investigation is in the national interest. It is not targeted at any individual or institution but is aimed at establishing the facts, protecting the integrity of public administration, safeguarding the rule of law, and ensuring that no public office or institution operates outside the framework of the Constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.

The committee also reaffirmed its commitment to conducting the inquiry impartially, insisting that no government institution would be allowed to frustrate legislative oversight.

The latest development followed previous hearings during which the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs distanced itself from the PFIPC and its alleged Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi. The ministry told lawmakers it neither recognised the council nor had official dealings with Adeyemi, adding that the Office of the National Security Adviser had similarly stated that both the council and its purported chief were unknown to the Federal Government.

Lawmakers are also examining how the council allegedly appeared in official government records, including issues surrounding bank accounts reportedly opened in its name.

During one of the hearings, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria informed the committee that the accounts were opened on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation but had no recorded transactions or balances.

Meanwhile, the investigation took another turn with the withdrawal of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, from Adeyemi’s legal team.

Confirming the development, Falana simply said, “I have withdrawn from the Adeyemi case.”

Although he declined to state his reasons, sources familiar with the matter said the senior lawyer had advised Adeyemi against granting media interviews while investigations were ongoing. The sources added that Falana eventually withdrew after Adeyemi reportedly informed him that he would not appear in court on July 27, the scheduled date for his arraignment.

The PFIPC controversy has remained under multiple investigations by the House of Representatives, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies over allegations of forgery, impersonation and conspiracy, claims Adeyemi has consistently denied.

Separately, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore challenged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to publish the full video of its interrogation of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the matter.

Reacting to the anti-graft agency’s statement that Gbajabiamila honoured an invitation voluntarily, Sowore wrote on X:

“If the ICPC truly interrogated Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, they should release the full, unedited video recording to the public now. All these gimmicks won’t work. We know this is just another smokescreen.”

The ICPC had earlier clarified that Gbajabiamila was not arrested but merely responded to questions relating to the ongoing investigation before leaving its headquarters after making his statement.