Atiku issues Tinubu a week-long deadline to launch a neutral investigation into PFIPC controversy

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has given President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to initiate a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, warning that failure to do so would exacerbate public mistrust. This mistrust stems from the suspicion that influential government figures may have benefited from the alleged fraud, and that individuals seeking public sector appointments may have fallen prey to a racket operating under official protection.

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The opposition leader's intervention comes as the controversy over the purported government agency continues to grow, following the presidency's dismissal of claims that the PFIPC is a legitimate federal institution, and its description of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the alleged Director-General, as an impostor facing criminal prosecution for forgery and impersonation.

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In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku noted that the controversy has evolved beyond allegations of forgery, now raising serious questions about the credibility of government institutions and oversight mechanisms. The presidency's explanation, according to Atiku, has failed to address critical issues surrounding the operations of the purported agency.

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Atiku argued that the narrative presented by the presidency, which suggests that one individual single-handedly created an office for himself, secured office space, held meetings with foreign embassy delegations, and processed staff salaries through official channels without any knowledge or approval from the government, raises more troubling questions than it answers. This narrative, he claimed, appears to be an attempt to isolate one individual after an internal arrangement went sour.

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Atiku emphasized that if Adeniyi Adeyemi committed fraud, he must face the law, but the more pressing issue is the kind of government system that allows such an elaborate operation to pass through budgetary, administrative, security, and institutional channels without detection. He questioned the plausibility of the story presented by the presidency, stating that Nigerians cannot be expected to accept it at face value.

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The central issue, according to Atiku, is no longer the conduct of one individual but the institutional processes that allegedly recognized and facilitated the operations of an agency the presidency insists never existed. He questioned how the purported agency secured office accommodation, processed official transactions, and interacted with government institutions if it had no legal existence.

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Atiku asked whether Adeyemi's character alone could have secured budgetary allocations for a supposedly fictitious office, obtained office space within a government facility, held meetings with foreign delegations, and opened official financial channels for the agency. He emphasized the need to separate an individual's alleged conduct from the institutional systems that either enabled it or failed to detect it.

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The ADC chieftain 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 over 300 personnel into the agency. He argued that such developments cannot be dismissed as administrative errors, as budget preparation and recruitment into the Federal Civil Service are structured processes involving multiple stakeholders.

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Atiku stated that it stretches credibility to suggest that an agency described as entirely fictitious could appear in official budget documents, obtain recruitment approval for hundreds of personnel, secure official space, interact with state institutions and foreign missions, and yet have no enablers within the government. He claimed that such developments underscore the need for an independent investigation.

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Fresh claims by Adeyemi, who has consistently denied allegations of forgery and insisted that his appointment was genuine, have further emphasized the need for an independent inquiry, according to Atiku. He argued that whether Adeyemi's claims are true or false is not for the presidency to determine through press statements, but rather through a thorough investigation.

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Atiku 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. He stressed that the President must order a comprehensive, independent investigation immediately, as anything short of that would amount to complicity by silence.

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The PFIPC controversy has dominated public discourse in recent days, with conflicting claims over the existence of the agency and the presidency's accusations of forgery against Adeyemi. Adeyemi has rejected the allegations, insisting that he was lawfully appointed and possesses valid official documents.

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The presidency has 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.