The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday, rejected President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, insisting that only an independent commission of inquiry can restore public confidence in the matter.
Atiku claimed that the president’s decision, which came days after he gave a seven-day ultimatum requesting an investigation into the alleged fraud, amounted to an admission that prior investigations by the Nigeria Police were inadequate.
In a statement made by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president stated that the presidency’s current action revealed discrepancies in its previous position that the topic had previously been thoroughly probed.
Only one week ago, the presidency emphasised to Nigerians that the matter had already been investigated by the police in response to the Chief of Staff’s October 2025 petitions; that the suspect had been arrested; that searches had been conducted; that documentary exhibits had been recovered; that bank accounts had been traced; that statements had been obtained; and that criminal charges had already been filed before the Federal High Court.
“If all of that is true, what exactly is the ICPC expected to spend another 30 days investigating?
“If the police investigation were comprehensive, another investigation would be unnecessary. If another investigation has become necessary, then the inevitable conclusion is that the earlier investigation was insufficient. The president cannot simultaneously maintain both positions without contradicting his own government,” the statement read in part.
Recall that Tinubu had instructed the ICPC to probe the activities of the supposed PFIPC after reports surfaced of individuals allegedly acting on behalf of a presidential intervention organisation ostensibly tied to the president.
The instruction came in response to increased public criticism and pleas from opposition politicians for a transparent inquiry into the matter.
However, Atiku said that the president’s directive to look into the “broader circumstances” surrounding the purported body undercut the administration’s earlier assertion that the incident involved only one person impersonating government personnel.
“That directive is, in itself, a repudiation of the earlier narrative that this was merely the handiwork of one alleged impostor.
“The issue before Nigerians is no longer whether one individual allegedly forged documents. The issue is how an organisation the Presidency insists never existed allegedly acquired office accommodation; interacted with government institutions; sought diplomatic recognition; reportedly conducted recruitment exercises; operated multiple bank accounts and projected the authority of government over an extended period.
“Institutions do not accidentally confer legitimacy. Bureaucracies do not unknowingly sustain official-looking operations for months. Somewhere between the presidency’s denials and the appearance of official legitimacy lies the truth Nigerians deserve to know,” he added.
Atiku also condemned the 30-day timeline given to the anti-graft agency, arguing that the case was not a fresh investigation requiring an extended period.
“This is not a fresh crime scene. It is not a newly discovered fraud. It is a matter the presidency insists had already been thoroughly investigated. If that claim is true, the ICPC should not require another month to rediscover what the police supposedly established months ago. Nigerians deserve answers within days, not another cycle of delay,” he added.
He also disputed the official timeline of events, citing allegations that the father of the main suspect was arrested until last week, despite the presidency’s assertion that investigations had already been completed.
He stated, “While the presidency insists the investigation had effectively been concluded months ago, reports indicate that the father of the principal suspect was only arrested last week. That development naturally raises questions about the status and scope of the investigation.”
He also disputed the official timeline of events, citing allegations that the father of the main suspect was arrested until last week, despite the presidency’s assertion that investigations had already been completed.
“What Nigerians demanded was never another internal government investigation. We demanded an independent investigation.
“The federal government is itself central to this controversy because the questions being asked concern the conduct of public institutions, official processes and possible institutional failures. In every constitutional democracy, a party whose conduct is under scrutiny cannot simultaneously appoint itself investigator, judge and final authority over its own case,” Atiku added.
The former vice president also questioned the appointment of a senior presidency official, whose name he claimed had been publicly linked to the scandal, as chairman of the state police implementation committee, arguing that such appointments could undermine public trust in the investigation.
To address the issue, Atiku called for the immediate formation of a special independent commission of inquiry composed of representatives nominated by the federal government, the ADC, the National Democratic Coalition, the Peoples Democratic Party, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, retired judicial officers, and other distinguished Nigerians.
According to him, the panel should assess current police findings, call relevant public officials, probe all aspects of the alleged PFIPC scandal, and disclose its findings directly to Nigerians within one month.
“That is the minimum standard of transparency Nigerians should accept.
“Anything less will leave the unavoidable impression that the government prefers to investigate itself behind closed doors rather than submit to genuinely independent scrutiny,” he stated.
The presidential candidate also urged Tinubu to subject himself to the same standard of accountability he expects of others, saying unresolved public questions surrounding aspects of the president’s personal records should equally be addressed transparently.
He determined that the dispute had expanded beyond the suspected primary suspect to include larger concerns about the integrity of public institutions.
“The issue before the nation is no longer Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi. The issue is whether public institutions were compromised, whether official processes were abused, and whether the government has the courage to permit an independent inquiry that follows the evidence wherever it leads.
“That is the only path to public confidence. Anything short of that will inevitably deepen public suspicion rather than restore public trust,” he said.
