Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the matter as a serious test of the credibility of government institutions.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the issue had gone beyond allegations of document forgery and now raised questions about how a government agency the Presidency claims never existed was allegedly able to function through official channels.
He urged Tinubu to direct a transparent, comprehensive and independent probe within seven days and make the findings public. According to him, failure to do so would reinforce public suspicion that influential figures within government may have benefited from the alleged fraud and that unsuspecting Nigerians seeking public appointments may have been deceived through a scheme protected by official interests.
Atiku argued that the explanation offered by the Presidency through Bayo Onanuga failed to address critical concerns.
“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 EFCC, 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.”
He maintained that while the background of the accused may be relevant, it does not explain how official government processes allegedly accommodated the operations of the agency.
“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.”
The former vice president further noted reports indicating that the PFIPC was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a multi-billion-naira allocation and that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service allegedly approved the recruitment of more than 300 personnel into the agency.
“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.
“As Chinua Achebe once reminded us, a man who has been asked to carry a basket of eggs does not break them all and then blame the road. The Presidency cannot continue blaming one man while refusing to account for the official systems that gave life to the scandal.”
Atiku also cited recent claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi, who reportedly denied the allegations against him and alleged that influential individuals were attempting to silence him, saying the development further underscored the need for an independent inquiry.
“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 that the controversy now affects the credibility of Nigeria's budgeting process, the integrity of the Federal Civil Service, the effectiveness of institutional oversight and the Presidency's ability to account for activities carried out in its name.
“Nigeria deserves the truth. Quietly investigating the matter and addressing the lapses would have been better than publicly presenting a story that collapses under its own contradictions. The President must order a comprehensive, independent investigation immediately. Anything short of that will amount to complicity by silence.”