Deputy speaker backs PFIPC probe, says fake Presidency letter deceived his office

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has backed an investigation into the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), saying his office was misled by documents that appeared to originate from the Presidency.

Speaking during plenary on Wednesday, Kalu said he was among those deceived by the group, which has since been disowned by the Presidency.

The debate followed a motion seeking a probe of the organisation after President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate its activities.

Kalu said his office received a letter dated May 2, 2025, bearing the Presidency’s logo, the name of the council, a government website domain and an office address at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. He said his team verified the address before approving a meeting with the delegation.

“I was a victim of this crime. When I saw this, it was a bit confusing for me. Some of the information looked credible, some did not. I sent my team to verify the existence of this organisation at the stated address. They came back confirming that the organisation was there. I then approved the meeting,” he said.

According to the deputy speaker, the group had requested discussions on constitutional amendment, economic governance, legislative priorities and collaboration to attract foreign investment. However, he became suspicious when the visitors focused mainly on taking photographs instead of discussing the issues outlined in their letter.

Kalu said the incident demonstrated that official-looking documents, government logos and office addresses could no longer be relied upon as proof of legitimacy, warning public officials to exercise greater caution.

He urged lawmakers to thoroughly investigate how the purported organisation gained access to government facilities, interacted with senior government officials and allegedly secured a place in the federal budget, stressing that the House must uphold transparency and accountability in governance.