Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has given 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 (PFIPC).
Key Highlights:
- Atiku gives President Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum over the PFIPC controversy.
- Calls for an independent investigation into the alleged activities of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
- Questions how a purported government agency allegedly operated without official approval.
- Raises concerns over reported budget allocations and recruitment linked to the PFIPC.
- Warns that failure to investigate could fuel public suspicion of official complicity.
- Presidency maintains that the PFIPC is not a legitimate government agency and that the alleged Director-General is facing criminal charges.
Atiku warned that failure to launch an independent investigation would deepen public suspicion that influential individuals within government may have benefited from the alleged fraud and that Nigerians seeking public appointments could have fallen victim to an organised scheme operating under official protection.
The opposition leader’s intervention follows mounting public debate after the Presidency dismissed claims that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was a recognised federal agency and described its alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as an impostor currently standing trial on allegations of forgery, conspiracy and impersonation.
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In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the controversy had moved beyond allegations against one individual and now raised serious concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s public institutions and oversight mechanisms.
According to him, the Presidency’s explanation has failed to answer critical questions surrounding the operations of the purported agency.
“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,” the statement said.
Atiku argued that while any individual found guilty of wrongdoing should face the full weight of the law, the larger issue concerns the institutional processes that allegedly allowed the purported agency to function.
He questioned how an organisation the Presidency insists never existed could reportedly secure office accommodation, interact with government institutions, engage foreign diplomatic missions and carry out official transactions without attracting scrutiny.
According to the former Vice President, the controversy is no longer about one individual’s conduct but about the systems that may have enabled or failed to detect the alleged irregularities.
He further questioned reports suggesting that the PFIPC appeared 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.
Atiku maintained that such claims could not simply be dismissed as administrative oversights.
“Budget preparation follows a structured process involving ministries, departments and agencies, the Budget Office, the National Assembly and ultimately presidential assent. Likewise, recruitment into the Federal Civil Service follows established procedures involving manpower planning, financial approvals and institutional clearances. These processes do not occur by accident,” he stated.
He argued that it stretches credibility to suggest that a supposedly fictitious agency could allegedly appear in official budget documents, obtain recruitment approvals, secure government office space and interact with several public institutions without assistance from officials within the system.
The ADC leader also cited fresh claims by Adeyemi, who has consistently denied allegations of forgery and maintained that his appointment was legitimate, as further justification for an independent investigation.
According to Atiku, only an impartial inquiry can establish the facts surrounding the matter.
“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 said.
He added that the controversy now affects the credibility of Nigeria’s budgeting process, the integrity of the Federal Civil Service and public confidence in the Presidency.
“The President must order a comprehensive, transparent and independent investigation immediately. Anything short of that will amount to complicity by silence,” Atiku stated.
The PFIPC controversy has continued to dominate national discourse following conflicting claims over the agency’s existence.
While the Presidency insists that no such government institution exists and has accused Adeyemi of forging appointment documents, Adeyemi has rejected the allegations, maintaining that he was lawfully appointed and possesses valid official documents.
The Federal Government has also confirmed that Adeyemi and two other suspects are facing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation, with proceedings scheduled to continue later this month.
