Photo caption; Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, on Friday gave President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to order what he described as a transparent, comprehensive and independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Atiku warned that failure to do so would deepen public suspicion that influential figures within government may have benefited from the alleged fraud and that Nigerians seeking public sector appointments may have fallen victim to a racket allegedly operating under official protection.
The opposition leader’s intervention comes amid growing controversy over the purported government agency after the presidency dismissed claims that the PFIPC was a legitimate federal institution and described its alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as an impostor facing criminal prosecution over allegations of forgery and impersonation.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the controversy had gone beyond allegations of forgery and now posed serious questions about the credibility of government institutions and oversight mechanisms.
He argued that the presidency’s explanation of the matter had failed to address critical issues surrounding the operations of the purported agency.
Photo caption: President Bola Tinubu
“If the government wants Nigerians to believe that one man single-handedly created an office for himself, secured office space within a government facility, held meetings with foreign embassy delegations, paid courtesy visits to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, processed staff salaries through official channels, allegedly operated institutional accounts, and carried on all these activities without the knowledge, approval, negligence or collaboration of anyone within government; then that narrative raises even more troubling questions than it answers.
“At this point, the story looks less like a clean explanation and more like an attempt to isolate one man after an internal arrangement went sour. If Mr Adeniyi Adeyemi committed fraud, he must face the law. But the bigger question is this: what kind of government system allows such an elaborate operation to pass through budgetary, administrative, security and institutional channels without detection?
“Haba! Nigerians cannot be asked to swallow such a story whole,” the statement read in part.
According to Atiku, the central issue is no longer the conduct of one individual but the institutional processes that allegedly recognised and facilitated the operations of an agency the Presidency insists never existed.
He questioned how the purported agency allegedly secured office accommodation, processed official transactions and interacted with government institutions if it had no legal existence.
“Was it his character that secured budgetary allocations for a supposedly fictitious office? Was it his antecedents that got him office space within a government facility? Was it his dubious nature that enabled him to hold meetings with foreign delegations, legislators and public officials, with some of those engagements reportedly covered by the media? Was it his character that opened or operated official financial channels for the agency?
“At some point, we must separate an individual’s alleged conduct from the institutional systems that either enabled it or failed to detect it,” he added.
The ADC chieftain also cited reports that the PFIPC was captured in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a multi-billion naira allocation and that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation allegedly approved the recruitment of more than 300 personnel into the agency.
He argued that such developments could not be dismissed as administrative errors.
“These developments cannot be dismissed as administrative oversights. Budget preparation is a structured process involving ministries, departments, agencies, the Budget Office, the National Assembly and ultimately presidential assent. Recruitment into the Federal Civil Service is also governed by manpower planning, establishment approvals, financial implications, grade-level classifications and institutional clearances. These things do not happen by accident.
“It stretches credibility beyond reasonable limits to suggest that an agency described as entirely fictitious could appear in official budget documents, reportedly obtain recruitment approval for hundreds of personnel, secure official space, interact with state institutions and foreign missions, and yet have no enablers within government,” he stated.
Atiku further said fresh claims by Adeyemi, who has consistently denied allegations of forgery and insisted that his appointment was genuine, underscored the need for an independent inquiry.
“Whether his claims are true or false is not for the presidency to determine through press statements. That is precisely why Nigeria needs an independent investigation. Let the facts speak. Let every document be examined. Let every approval be traced. Let every official who acted, neglected a duty, or enabled this scandal be identified and held accountable,” he added
He maintained that the controversy now extends beyond one individual and touches on the integrity of Nigeria’s budgeting process, the credibility of the Federal Civil Service and the accountability of the presidency.
“The President must order a comprehensive, independent investigation immediately. Anything short of that will amount to complicity by silence,” he stressed.
The PFIPC controversy has dominated public discourse in recent days following conflicting claims over the existence of the agency.
While the presidency has maintained that no such government body exists and accused Adeyemi of forging his appointment documents, Adeyemi has rejected the allegations, insisting that he was lawfully appointed and possesses valid official documents.
The presidency has also disclosed that Adeyemi and two others are standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation, with the matter scheduled for hearing later this month.
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