Pressure Mounts on Tinubu to Abandon ICPC Probe, Opt for Separate, Impartial Inquiry Instead

The controversy surrounding the alleged fake agency, Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, has intensified, with several civil society organizations and lawyers rejecting President Bola Tinubu's directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, to investigate the matter and submit a report within 30 days.

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These organizations and lawyers are instead calling for the suspension of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, to ensure an unfettered investigation of the allegations, with one of them stating that if Gbajabiamila was placed on suspension, the ICPC could conduct an independent investigation.

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The allegations in question involve Matthew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claimed to have received assistance from Gbajabiamila in facilitating the PFIPC, and that the agency's budget was captured in the 2026 Appropriation Bill with an allocation of N1.3 billion.

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It is reported that the agency had over 300 staff working under it at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, while Gbajabiamila has denied any knowledge of the PFIPC and has threatened a N10 billion lawsuit against Adeyemi for defamation.

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Adeyemi, on the other hand, has maintained that the agency was not fake, leading to widespread calls from Nigerians for an independent investigation into the matter, rather than one conducted by a government agency.

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Among those calling for an independent investigation is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the 2027 elections, who argued that Nigerians deserve the whole truth, not carefully scripted press statements, and that a truly independent investigation should be conducted.

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Rev David Ugolor, the Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has also weighed in on the matter, stating that the allegations surrounding the PFIPC are a reminder of how corruption and weak institutional safeguards continue to undermine governance in Nigeria.

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Ugolor emphasized the need for those affected by the saga to step aside from their duties to allow for a proper and uninterrupted investigation by the ICPC, citing concerns about the credibility and perceived independence of the process if key public officials connected to the allegations remain in office.

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The ANEEJ boss pointed out that the success of the investigation will depend on whether the process is genuinely transparent, independent, and accountable to the Nigerian people, warning that an investigation that is not seen as fair and impartial risks undermining public trust.

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Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, IPC, has suggested that a better approach would be to engage an independent inquiry process to investigate the matter, given the level of public interest and the need for transparency and credibility.

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Arogundade noted that while the ICPC has the powers to investigate matters like this, an independent inquiry process would be more ideal, considering the complicated nature of the situation and the fact that the accused, Adeyemi, is already being charged to court.

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Dr Andrew Mamedu, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, has stated that what matters most in these allegations is for the ICPC to carry out a credible, transparent, and independent investigation, emphasizing that the real test is not who conducts the investigation, but whether the process is credible, transparent, and independent in practice.

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Mamedu welcomed the President's directive to the ICPC to investigate the matter, but cautioned that the Commission must be allowed to carry out its mandate professionally, without interference, and in a manner that inspires public confidence.

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Human rights lawyer and public analyst, Idris Faro, has demanded that the investigation should lead to the punishment of those found culpable, stating that the ICPC is an independent statutory agency with powers to investigate and prosecute corrupt practices.

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Faro refrained from accusing anyone until the outcome of the investigation is known, but emphasized that it is crucial for the allegations to be well investigated and for those culpable to be brought to justice.

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Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer and activist, has insisted that the government should use independent people to investigate the matter, calling for the suspension of Gbajabiamila and arguing that the Presidency cannot investigate itself.

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Adeyanju stated that if Gbajabiamila was placed on suspension, the ICPC could conduct an independent investigation, and that the investigation should be done by independent people, without being influenced by the report of the Presidency.

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Toluwa Odekhe, a human rights lawyer and Managing Partner of Cornerstone Advocates, Abuja, has cautioned the ICPC against allowing its investigation to be overshadowed by politics, acknowledging that the ICPC is the right anti-corruption agency to handle the matter.

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Odekhe emphasized the need for transparency and credibility in the investigation process, stating that the ICPC must be seen to operate without interference, and that the National Assembly should exercise its oversight functions to reinforce checks and balances.