Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has asked President Bola Tinubu to, within seven days, establish an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
He said a failure to act would only reinforce public concerns that influential individuals within the government may have played a role in the alleged scandal or protected those involved. He also expressed fears that Nigerians seeking federal jobs may have been exploited through the purported agency.
Atiku’s call follows the Presidency’s insistence that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency. The Presidency has also described the council’s alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as an impostor facing prosecution over alleged forgery and impersonation.
In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said the issue had grown beyond accusations against one individual and now raised serious concerns about accountability within government institutions.
He argued that the Presidency had yet to provide convincing answers on how the purported agency allegedly functioned for so long.
“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, attention should now be focused on the institutions that allegedly allowed the agency to operate rather than solely on the actions of one individual.
He questioned how the organisation reportedly obtained office space, processed official transactions and engaged government agencies despite being described as non-existent.
“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.
He also referred to reports alleging that the PFIPC received a multi-billion naira allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act and that approval was granted for the recruitment of more than 300 workers into the agency.
Atiku argued that such developments could not have occurred without passing through established government procedures.
“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.
He further said Adeyemi’s continued insistence that his appointment was genuine made an impartial investigation even more necessary.
“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.
Atiku maintained that the controversy now affects the integrity of Nigeria’s public institutions and urged the President to act immediately.
“The President must order a comprehensive, independent investigation immediately. Anything short of that will amount to complicity by silence,” he stressed.
The controversy has continued to generate widespread attention, with the Presidency maintaining that the PFIPC has no legal status while Adeyemi insists his appointment was valid. Authorities have also confirmed that Adeyemi and two others are facing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
