A United States-based lobbyist, Von Batten-Montague-York, has urged President Donald Trump and the US Congress to widen scrutiny of Nigeria over allegations surrounding the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The lobbyist alleged that some senior officials in President Bola Tinubu’s administration may have been involved in a scheme to unlawfully obtain or divert international funds linked to the United States through the disputed agency.
Batten-Montague-York specifically called for scrutiny of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who has repeatedly denied any association with PFIPC and distanced himself from its alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
In a statement shared on social media, the lobbyist claimed that PFIPC received a ₦1.3 billion allocation in Nigeria’s 2026 budget, which also included projects supported by international development organisations.
“We are now officially lobbying for the investigation to be expanded to include a possible conspiracy by senior members of the Tinubu government to defraud the United States by participating in a scheme to illegally obtain or divert US-linked funding,” he said.
However, the allegations have not been independently verified, and neither the US government nor Congress has publicly confirmed any investigation into the matter.
Gbajabiamila’s Past Legal Disciplinary Record Resurfaces
The controversy has also renewed attention on Gbajabiamila’s disciplinary proceedings in the United States before he became prominent in Nigerian politics.
In 2007, the Supreme Court of Georgia suspended him from legal practice for 36 months after he admitted violating professional rules relating to the handling of client funds.
Court records reportedly showed that he received a $25,000 client settlement, deposited it into his attorney trust account, but failed to promptly release the money to the client.
He later admitted using the funds for personal purposes before shutting down his legal practice and relocating to Nigeria.
Gbajabiamila repaid the client before the disciplinary case was concluded. The court said the misconduct could have warranted disbarment but accepted his request for voluntary discipline and imposed a three-year suspension.
Reports later indicated that his membership of the State Bar of Georgia was terminated after he failed to seek reinstatement following the suspension.
Questions Over PFIPC Budget Allocation
The controversy surrounding PFIPC intensified after questions emerged over how the agency secured a place in the 2026 national budget.
The Presidency has maintained that the council does not exist, accusing Adeniyi Adeyemi of forging appointment letters and official documents to portray himself as its Director-General.
Adeyemi, who has denied the allegations, is facing criminal charges bordering on forgery, impersonation and related offences.
The development has increased calls from civil society groups, opposition figures and other stakeholders for explanations from government officials, including Gbajabiamila and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
In a recent interview, Adeyemi denied being involved in the preparation or defence of PFIPC’s budget proposal, saying he was in police custody during the period the 2026 budget was being processed.
“I was detained for 23 days between October 27 and November 19. During that period, I was not involved in any budget preparation, and nobody from the agency appeared before any committee to defend a budget,” he said.
Adeyemi questioned how an agency described by the government as non-existent could have passed through the budget process and received approval.
“If the agency truly did not exist, how did it get into the national budget? How did it pass through the Senate, the House of Representatives and eventually get transmitted to the President?” he asked.
He argued that the inclusion of PFIPC in the Appropriation Act suggested that some government institutions recognised the council’s existence during the budget process.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.