An aspirant for the Ondo State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been identified as a state coordinator for a purported federal agency currently under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Ambassador Orioye G. Benedict, who is seeking to represent Ilaje Constituency I, is listed as the Ondo State Coordinator of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office. His affiliation appears on the organisation’s digital platforms alongside a campaign flyer identifying him as “Hon. Orioye Benedict Gbayisemore, Candidate, Ondo State House of Assembly, Ilaje Constituency 1.”
The ICPC investigation centres on an office the commission describes as a fake government agency operating from within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). Following the discovery, President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of George Nwabueze, identified as the promoter and Executive Director of the outfit. The President also directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
The organisation presented itself as a legitimate, government-backed initiative with an elaborate national structure. Its website listed Nwabueze as the National Coordinator and named officials across national administration, geopolitical zones, and 20 states, including Katsina, Kaduna, Delta, Kebbi, Osun, Anambra, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Ogun, Sokoto, Abia, Zamfara, Niger, Kano, Taraba, Oyo, Bauchi, and Kogi. The entity also claimed representation in the United States and China.
According to ICPC findings, the office operated without presidential authorisation despite claiming oversight by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, in the OSGF. The extensive organisational framework allegedly helped the outfit mimic a formal government institution, facilitating its access to federal premises.
The inclusion of an active political aspirant among the listed state coordinators has intensified scrutiny on the network’s operations and the roles assumed by its appointees. It remains unclear whether Benedict was aware of the alleged lack of government authorisation when he accepted the coordinator role or what activities he undertook in that capacity.
The ICPC is expected to determine the full scope of the agency’s operations, how it secured access to the OSGF, the identities of all individuals involved, and whether government resources or privileges were misused. The outcome of the probe will likely shape further accountability measures regarding the unauthorised use of federal government infrastructure.
