By David Torough, Abuja

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has declared the appointment letter presented by the council’s self-acclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as fake, saying its investigation uncovered an extensive network of forged government documents allegedly used to secure official recognition for the council.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed the findings at the close of the panel’s public hearing in Abuja, stating that evidence from the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), and other government institutions established that the appointment letter and other documents presented by Adeyemi were not authentic.

According to Gagdi, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who appeared before the committee for the second time, confirmed that the purported appointment letter and the Establishment Act presented to her office were fake.

He said forensic analysis by the Nigeria Police also revealed that the signature on the disputed appointment letter did not correspond with authentic signatures from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, noting that the document was not even a forgery in the strict sense because there was no attempt to imitate the genuine signature.

The committee further established that the supposed Establishment Act used to facilitate the creation of the council lacked the statutory features of a valid Act of the National Assembly, including citation numbers, Gazette references and other security features, describing it as a mutilated and fabricated document.

Gagdi also alleged that investigations uncovered the creation of a fictitious Directorate of Administration and Support Services within the State House, an office he said does not exist but was referenced in documents submitted to several government agencies to obtain approvals.

According to the committee, no fewer than 19 fake State House documents were allegedly deployed to process official correspondences and secure recognition for the council.

The panel had earlier directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi after describing the establishment and operation of the council as a serious breach. However, Gagdi explained that the suspect could not appear before the committee because he is currently being held in police custody pursuant to a subsisting court order.

He said the committee would conclude the investigation with closed-door sessions involving the remaining agencies to clarify outstanding issues and ensure all parties are accorded a fair hearing before presenting its preliminary findings to the public next week.

The House had constituted the committee following concerns over the legal status, operational framework and budgetary appearance of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, amid allegations that it was established without lawful authority.

Gagdi reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation aimed at safeguarding the integrity of public institutions and ensuring accountability.

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has nominated the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service, Jerry Adams, as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.

Sani announced the nomination on Tuesday, describing it as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to inclusion, justice, fairness, equity and equal opportunities for all Kaduna citizens.

He said the choice followed extensive consultations, deep reflection and prayers, stressing that it reflected values that had guided his administration since assuming office on May 29, 2023.

The governor said the nomination went beyond selecting a deputy governorship candidate, adding that it symbolised the determination to strengthen unity and deepen citizens’ sense of belonging.

According to him, Kaduna’s religious, ethnic and cultural diversity remains its greatest strength and should continue to unite, rather than divide the people.

Sani said his administration had spent over three years healing divisions and restoring public confidence through inclusive governance and equitable distribution of development projects.

He said investments in roads, schools, healthcare, water supply, agriculture and social protection had reached all 23 local government areas without discrimination.

The governor added that collaboration with traditional rulers, religious leaders, women, youths and community groups had strengthened peace and promoted shared development.

He said improved security had enabled farmers to return to their fields, businesses to expand and investments to grow across many communities.

Sani described Adams as an accomplished public servant and tax administrator who transformed the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service through innovation, transparency and professionalism.

He said Adams’ leadership strengthened the state’s revenue generation, enabling greater investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and other critical sectors.

The governor also described Adams as a man of integrity, humility and competence, committed to peace, reconciliation and inclusive governance.

He said the nomination underscored his administration’s resolve to prioritise merit, competence and character in public leadership.

Sani urged Kaduna residents to embrace the development through the vision of a united states, rather than the lenses of religion, ethnicity or geography.

He pledged to continue building a peaceful, secure, just and prosperous Kaduna, expressing confidence that the administration would leave a stronger foundation for future generations.

Ayoola Lawal, a former Secretary of the APC Committee of Diaspora Chairmen, has filtered calls by NDC Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, urging President Bola Tinubu to resign, saying the Nigerians should allow the ballot to decide.

Lawal, a former House of Representatives candidate, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

Obi, a former Anambra governor recently urged President Tinubu to step aside, arguing that the country needed a different level of leadership to confront its growing challenges.

Lawal acknowledged that Obi had raised legitimate concerns about Nigeria’s economic hardship, rising cost of living, insecurity, unemployment and declining purchasing power.

According to him, these challenges are real and continue to affect millions of Nigerians.

Lawal, however, argued that Tinubu’s administration had been working aggressively to address these inherited structural problems through a series of ambitious economic and institutional reforms.

“Anyone who has objectively followed the administration of President Bola Tinubu will acknowledge that these challenges are indeed legitimate.

“They will also recognise that the administration is working hard to confront them through far-reaching reforms aimed at stabilising the economy, strengthening institutions and laying the foundation for long-term national growth,” he said.

The APC chieftain noted that since assuming office, the Tinubu administration had implemented some of Nigeria’s most significant structural reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy.

He added that others were liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, fiscal and tax reforms, the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), ongoing power sector reforms and renewed investment in strategic road infrastructure.

Lawal said among others were initiatives to strengthen local government financial autonomy, digital economy reforms, expanded military recruitment and security operations, and policies designed to restore investor confidence.

He said there were major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, ongoing rehabilitation of key federal highways, railway development, and port modernisation.

The chieftain said these demonstrated that the administration was pursuing long-term development in spite of immediate economic difficulties facing the country.

While maintaining that the government should continue to be held accountable for the impact of its policies, Lawal said criticism must remain anchored on constitutional principles and democratic norms.

“In every constitutional democracy, disagreement with an incumbent administration is resolved through constitutional institutions and, ultimately, through the ballot box.

“Calling for the retirement of a sitting President, in the absence of constitutional grounds such as resignation, impeachment or incapacity, neither advances democracy nor strengthens public accountability,” he said.

Lawal questioned the practical implications of Obi’s position, asking what constitutional or national purpose would be served if a sitting President were to resign only months before another general election in a couple of months.

He said: “If Tinubu was to retire today, then for whom? And to what immediate national benefit? Nigeria is already approaching another electoral cycle.

“The democratic path is clear: allow the reforms to be assessed, let the opposition present a superior alternative, and allow Nigerians to make their decision at the ballot box. That is how constitutional democracies function.”

Lawal further argued that while the opposition had a constitutional responsibility to scrutinise government policies, it also had a duty to provide practical alternatives rather than focus on personalities.

He said Nigeria’s democracy was sufficiently mature to resolve political disagreements through elections, not through calls for the resignation or retirement of elected leaders outside the constitutional framework.

He maintained that President Tinubu’s administration should continue to be evaluated on measurable outcomes and that Nigerians remain the ultimate judges of whether the ongoing reforms have delivered on their promises.

He said: “The Tinubu administration must continue to account for every policy and every promise. Equally, the opposition must continue to perform its oversight role.

“However, whether the President deserves another mandate is a decision that belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people at the next general election-not to political rhetoric.”

Lawal said judging by all the administration had done so far, Tinubu deserved a second term to consolidate his policies and projects.