The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded the immediate establishment of an independent judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
BACKGROUND
In June, the presidency distanced itself from the
organisation, insisting that it does not exist under the current
administration.
In a statement, Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to
President Bola Tinubu, said his office did not appoint an individual named
Adeniyi Adeyemi for the organisation.
However, Adeyemi, convener of the disputed PFIPC, challenged
Gbajabiamila’s disclaimer distancing himself from the body while calling on the
president to establish an independent panel to investigate the controversy.
Adeyemi questioned how the PFIPC allegedly appeared in the
2026 budget if, as maintained by the presidency, the body does not exist.
He alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a N400 million bribe.
On Wednesday, the presidency further accused Adeyemi of
forging an appointment letter and falsely presenting himself as a presidential
appointee.
The Cable exclusively reported that the federal government
granted a waiver to the controversial PFIPC to recruit 300 members of staff in
August 2025.
‘ESTABLISH INDEPENDENT JUDICIAL PANEL INQUIRY’
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Friday,
Bola Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the issue raised
fundamental questions about governance, accountability and national security.
According to Abdullahi, the controversy has “exposed the
staggering depth of institutional decay under the APC-led administration of
President Bola Tinubu, noting that it “suggests that under Tinubu’s watch, the
presidency may have become a nest of fraudsters.”
The ADC spokesperson said the presidency’s response to the
controversy failed to answer key questions and instead raised concerns about
institutional integrity.
He said the probe of the disputed presidential council
should cover 10 public officials and institutions, including Gbajabiamila;
George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF); Didi
Walson-Jack, head of the civil service of the federation; Tanimu Yakubu,
director-general of the budget office; the ministry of foreign affairs; the
office of the national security adviser (ONSA); the Department of State
Services (DSS); the Nigeria Police Force (NPF); the office of the
accountant-general of the federation; the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); and
relevant national assembly committees.
Abdullahi said Adeyemi should be investigated over his
alleged role in the creation and operation of the PFIPC and claims about the
payments to senior government officials.
According to him, the proposed panel should have powers to
summon witnesses, compel the production of documents and determine whether any
public officials were involved in negligence, misconduct, abuse of office or
criminal wrongdoing.
“If indeed the PFIPC was a fictitious organisation, then
Nigerians deserve to know how a fictitious organisation allegedly secured
recruitment approvals, budgetary allocations, official correspondence,
diplomatic engagements, interactions with federal institutions, and recognition
across multiple arms of government,” the statement reads.
The ADC spokesperson also faulted the presidency’s statement
on the matter for focusing on clearing Gbajabiamila of wrongdoing without
addressing how the alleged activities of the PFIPC were possible.
He alleged the Tinubu administration of applying double
standards in handling corruption allegations, arguing that security and
anti-graft agencies were swiftly deployed over allegations involving Nasir
el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, while no similar action had been taken
over claims involving the president’s chief of staff.
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