Atiku Abubakar gives President Bola Tinubu seven days to order an independent probe into the alleged PFIPC controversy and related fraud claims.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has given President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to order an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Atiku said a transparent probe is necessary to determine whether government officials or institutions played any role in the operations of the alleged agency. He warned that failure to investigate would deepen public suspicion over the controversy.
In a statement issued on Friday, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the matter extends beyond allegations against one individual and raises broader questions about the credibility of government institutions and oversight mechanisms.
He questioned how the alleged agency could have operated from government premises, interacted with foreign embassies and public institutions, processed salaries and maintained official accounts if it was not legally recognised.
“The President must order a comprehensive, independent investigation immediately. Anything short of that will amount to complicity by silence,” Atiku said.
The former vice president maintained that the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, should face prosecution if found guilty. However, he insisted investigators must also establish whether public officials enabled the agency’s activities.
Atiku also cited reports that the PFIPC appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a multi-billion-naira allocation and allegedly received approval to recruit more than 300 personnel through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. He argued that such actions could not have occurred without multiple layers of official approval.
The controversy intensified after the Presidency stated that the PFIPC is not a recognised federal agency and described Adeyemi as an impostor facing trial on charges including conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
Adeyemi has denied the allegations, insisting he was lawfully appointed and possesses official documents to support his claims.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the removal of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linking him to the controversy.
The party alleged that the purported agency received budgetary allocations, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and obtained approval to recruit staff despite the Presidency’s position that it does not exist.
The NDC also demanded an independent investigation into the alleged agency’s operations, financial transactions, staffing approvals and the claims made by Adeyemi, including allegations of corruption, attempted assassination and the death of an intermediary linked to the case.
The Presidency has yet to respond to Atiku’s latest ultimatum, while investigations and court proceedings involving Adeyemi are expected to continue later this month.
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