By Augustine Akhilomen
…As NDC Calls For Gbajabiamila Sack Over Alleged Fake Agency
…Demands Officials Of CBN, Office Of Accountant-General Of The Federation, Head Of The Civil Service To Be Questioned
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has issued a seve-day ultimatum for president Bola Tinubu to set up an Independent Investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the controversy had gone beyond allegations of forgery to become a major test of the credibility of government institutions.
According to Atiku, the central issue is no longer the conduct of one individual but the institutional processes that allegedly recognised and facilitated the operations of an agency the Presidency insists never existed.
Atiku warned that failure to do so would deepen public suspicion that influential figures within government may have benefited from the alleged fraud and that Nigerians seeking public sector appointments may have fallen victim to a racket allegedly operating under official protection.
The opposition leader’s intervention comes amid growing controversy over the purported government agency after the presidency dismissed claims that the PFIPC was a legitimate federal institution and described its alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as an impostor facing criminal prosecution over allegations of forgery and impersonation.
He argued that the explanation offered by the Presidency through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, raised more questions than it answered.
“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.
“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.
The ADC chieftain also cited reports that the PFIPC was captured in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a multi-billion naira allocation and that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation allegedly approved the recruitment of more than 300 personnel into the agency.
He argued that such developments could not be dismissed as administrative errors.
“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.
Atiku further said fresh claims by Adeyemi, who has consistently denied allegations of forgery and insisted that his appointment was genuine, 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
He maintained that the controversy now extends beyond one individual and touches on the integrity of Nigeria’s budgeting process, the credibility of the Federal Civil Service and the accountability of the presidency.
“The President must order a comprehensive, independent investigation immediately. Anything short of that will amount to complicity by silence,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has raised the alarm over the allegations of corruption involving the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, and one Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The NDC called for the immediate removal of Gbajabiamila over allegations linking him to the purported government agency and the sale of public appointments.
In a statement signed on Friday by NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the party urged President Tinubu to suspend the Chief of Staff to allow for what it described as a transparent and unbiased investigation into the allegations.
The statement read, “The non-existent agency was allegedly used to siphon public funds, with the active collusion and facilitation by the Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila. This scandal raises fundamental questions about the level of transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the Tinubu administration.
“According to the allegations by Prince Adeyemi the PFIPC received budgetary allocations in the 2026 budget and successfully opened a Domiciliary Account, a Pounds Sterling Account, and a Treasury Single Account (TSA), all domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria. This development is baffling, given that the Presidency has publicly disclaimed the existence of any such agency. Africans& Diaspora
“The NDC finds it deeply troubling that an agency the Presidency claims does not exist could open multiple high-level financial accounts at the apex bank. For even an individual to open a domiciliary account, stringent documentation is required. How then was a fictitious agency able to open such accounts without the necessary documentations?
“Did the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation knowingly process forged documents? The Presidency owes Nigerians an urgent clarification on this matter. Africans& Diaspora
“Equally disturbing is the claim that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved 314 staff positions for this supposedly non-existent agency. The NDC wonders how such a significant administrative action could occur without the knowledge of the Presidency and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“Is the Tinubu administration so clueless and incompetent that major decisions bypass its principal officers? More grievous is the allegation that the Chief of Staff demanded 48% of the agency’s take-off grant amounting to N27,395,510,136, a request Prince Adeyemi reportedly rejected which invariably resulted in a public spat. Adeyemi further admitted that he fraudulently secured his appointment through the Chief of Staff for the sum of N600 million, with N400 million allegedly paid through proxies to the Chief of staff, with a balance of N200 million outstanding, a default that reportedly contributed in triggering the current denial of the agency’s existence by aides of the President.
“These are not mere allegations; they point to a disturbing pattern of institutionalised corruption, including the alleged sale of appointments to the highest bidders, a notorious trademark of the Tinubu administration.
“The NDC believes this scandal further confirms that the current administration has entrenched and legitimised corruption as a way of governance in Nigeria. Africans& Diaspora
“The situation is further compounded by the mysterious death of Mr. Babatunde Tanimola, the intermediary between Prince Adeyemi and the Chief of Staff, who reportedly died in a fire accident at a hotel in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, just a day after the Chief of Staff’s petition was received by the Police. Prince Adeyemi has also raised alarm over multiple assassination attempts on his life, including a brazen attack along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway on September 7, 2025.
“In the light of the foregoing, the NDC demands as follows:
“The immediate removal of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to allow for a full, unbiased investigation, as his continued stay in office constitutes a clear conflict of interest and a threat to the integrity of any probe.
“The President should without delay constitute an independent investigative panel to thoroughly examine all aspects of this scandal, including the operations of the alleged PFIPC, budgetary allocations, account openings, staff approvals, and financial transactions.
“The panel must also investigate the mysterious death of Mr. Babatunde Tanimola and the assassination attempts on Prince Adeyemi, with a view to uncovering the full truth and bringing perpetrators to justice.
“The Chief of Staff should be compelled to produce all official documents signed since assuming office for forensic analysis.
“All relevant actors, including officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Office of the Accountant-General, and Head of Civil Service, should be questioned. Africans& Diaspora
“The EFCC, ICPC, and Nigeria Police Force must immediately commence a full-scale investigation into this matter without fear or favour.
“The NDC will not accept the usual tactic of issuing a mere defensive press release from the Presidency as a deflective ploy. Nigerians deserve to know the truth through a transparency process that promotes fairness and justice. The culture of impunity and the brazen sale of public appointments must end.
“The NDC stands firmly with the people of Nigeria in demanding accountability. Anyone found culpable in this sordid affair, no matter how highly placed, must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”