Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has challenged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to release the full, unedited video recording of its interrogation of President Bola Tinubu's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council scandal. Sowore made the demand on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in a post on his X handle, dismissing the anti-graft agency's explanation that Gbajabiamila merely honoured an invitation from investigators. The activist argued that only the release of the complete footage would convince Nigerians that the interrogation was genuine and not a cover-up designed to shield the presidential aide from scrutiny over the phantom agency that allegedly secured a N1.3 billion budget allocation.
"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," Sowore wrote. His comments followed a statement by the ICPC denying reports that Gbajabiamila was arrested over the PFIPC scandal. The commission said the Chief of Staff voluntarily appeared at its headquarters in Abuja on Monday after receiving an invitation from investigators, responded to questions relating to the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, and left after making his statement. "The Commission confirms that the Chief of Staff's visit was on the invitation of its investigators and consistent with its ongoing efforts to gather all relevant facts in the matter. He was not arrested; he simply willingly honoured an invitation," the commission said.
Sowore rejected the ICPC's explanation and questioned the credibility of the exercise, insisting that transparency is essential if the commission hopes to convince the public that the investigation is being handled without bias or political influence. According to him, releasing the entire footage would allow Nigerians to independently assess the depth and credibility of the anti-corruption agency's questioning of the presidential aide. "If investigators genuinely subjected the Chief of Staff to a rigorous session, there should be no hesitation in publishing the complete, unedited recording. Anything short of that will continue to fuel suspicions about the process," he said. The activist did not provide evidence to support his claim that the questioning was a smokescreen, but his demand has added to the growing pressure on the ICPC to demonstrate transparency in its investigation of the high-profile case.
The PFIPC controversy has thrown the Tinubu administration into one of its most embarrassing scandals. The Presidency has disowned the council, describing it as a fraudulent organisation that was never lawfully established. President Bola Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate how the purported agency allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja for about two years under Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as its Director-General. The scandal has also triggered a House of Representatives investigation. At a public hearing on Monday, the Central Bank of Nigeria admitted it opened two foreign-currency domiciliary accounts for the purported agency after receiving a mandate from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. CBN Director of Banking Services, Hamisu Ibrahim, told lawmakers that the accounts, one in US dollars and another in British pounds, were opened after the bank verified the mandate but were never activated because no one came forward to operate them. Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as Director-General of the council, has since been arrested and is facing prosecution over the matter.
Gbajabiamila's appearance before the ICPC came just days after Adeyemi was arrested by police in Osun State following a bench warrant issued by a Federal High Court. Adeyemi, who is facing charges of forgery and impersonation, had claimed during a press conference that he paid N400 million to Gbajabiamila through an intermediary to secure his appointment and that the presidential aide demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency's proposed N27.3 billion take-off grant. Gbajabiamila has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as false, and has filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, admitted before a House of Representatives committee that her office failed to properly verify documents submitted by officials of the controversial body before issuing an authorised staff establishment for it. The ICPC has not publicly responded to Sowore's demand as of the time of filing this report, and the commission has declined to reveal the substance of the interview or details of the information provided during the session. As the investigation continues, Sowore's challenge has intensified calls for transparency, with many Nigerians demanding to see the full video of the interrogation to determine whether the probe is genuinely pursuing the truth or merely a political exercise designed to shield those at the highest levels of government from accountability.
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