By Ikenna Asomba
Following our vehement calls for a deep-rooted investigation, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), led by the Jigawa-born Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu has been ordered to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations of bribery against Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila by one Adeniyi Mathew Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, PFIC-PEAC.
The ICPC led by Dr. Aliyu has been ordered by the Presidency to produce a comprehensive report within 30 days.
It is against this backdrop that we once again join millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora in asking the legal luminary and former Attorney-General of Jigawa State, Dr. Aliyu, to pen his name in gold and conduct a thorough, unbiased, and independent investigation into this alleged bribery scandal and the operation of a fictitious agency of the Federal government, to protect the integrity of anti-graft agency called the ICPC.
Over the last few years, precisely since 2015, millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora had lost confidence in the ICPC. But since Dr. Aliyu is not of the Yoruba ethnic group where the actors in the eyes of the storm, Adeyemi and Gbajabiamila hail from, he (Aliyu) must lead the hitherto respected ICPC to conduct a professional, thorough, unbiased, and independent investigation, thus, producing a comprehensive report within 30 days.
It must be recalled that the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, PEAC, was actually created as an 8-man advisory body by Pres. Muhammadu Buhari on September 16, 2019, to advise the President directly on economic policy matters, including fiscal analysis and economic growth. The council was tasked with holding monthly technical sessions and quarterly meetings with the President to address internal and global economic issues.
At inception, the council had the following members: Prof. Doyin Salami (Chairman); Dr. Mohammed Sagagi (Vice Chairman); Dr. Mohammed Adaya Salisu (Secretary). Other members were Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Mr. Bismark Rewane, Prof. Ode Ojowu, Dr. Shehu Yahaya, and Dr. Iyabo Masha.
It was the APC-led regime of Bola Tinubu (2023 to date), which came in, and morphed the 8-man advisory council dependent on sitting honoraria, into a full-fledged federal government agency rechristened the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PFIC-PEAC). Before this scandal leaked to the press and public in October 2025, PFIC-PEAC was illegitimately empowered with over 300 staff and a 2026 approved operational budget of a whopping N1.3 billion, in what can be described as ‘food for boys’ creation.
So, futile attempts by the Tinubu-led Presidency and their ego-tripping machines to paint this council as fake and non-existent must not be tolerated by intellectual journalists, broadcasters, editors, members of Nigeria’s intelligentsia community, and millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.
We expect the ICPC to swoop into action and invite Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, and Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi for thorough questions and explanations. We also expect the ICPC to as well, invite members of the presidency, members of the National Assembly, and staff of the so-called fictitious agency that had dealings with Mr. Adeyemi, when he allegedly paraded himself as DG of PFIC-PEAC.
This latest bribery scandal where Gbajabiamila was alleged to have demanded N600 million; allegedly got an upfront payment of N400 million via intermediaries to appoint Adeyemi as DG of PFIC-PEAC, and also allegedly demanded 38% of the agency’s seed grant (budget) of N1.3 billion, must not be swept under the carpet.
Dear ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, we await your comprehensive report and recommendations for prosecution on or before August 7, 2026.
The ball stops on your court now!
Ikenna Asomba is a political scientist and journalist. He writes from the State of Illinois, United States.
