Atiku pressures Tinubu for independent PFIPC probe, rejects ICPC investigation directive

Atiku Abubakar criticises Tinubu's ICPC probe directive on the PFIPC affair, demanding a Special Independent Commission for transparency and accountability.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed 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 panel can restore public confidence.Atiku argued that the President’s order contradicted earlier claims that the police had already conducted a “comprehensive investigation.” He noted that if the police probe was sufficient, another inquiry would be unnecessary; but if a fresh probe is required, then the earlier investigation was inadequate.“The president cannot simultaneously maintain both positions without contradicting his own government,” Atiku’s aide, Phrank Shaibu, said in a statement.He questioned how an organisation the presidency insists “never existed” allegedly acquired office space, interacted with government institutions, sought diplomatic recognition, operated bank accounts, and conducted recruitment exercises.Atiku also faulted the 30-day timeline given to ICPC, arguing that Nigerians deserve answers within days, not weeks. He stressed that government agencies cannot investigate themselves, calling instead for a Special Independent Commission of Inquiry comprising representatives from political parties, civil society, the Nigerian Bar Association, retired judges, and other eminent Nigerians.According to him, such a panel should review police findings, summon officials, and publish its report directly to Nigerians within one month.Atiku concluded that the controversy has moved beyond the alleged suspect to broader questions about the integrity of public institutions, urging Tinubu to submit to the same standards of accountability he demands of others.

Former Vice President and 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 to investigate the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, insisting that only an independent commission of inquiry can restore public confidence in the matter. Atiku Read More: https://punchng.com/pfipc-scandal-atiku-rejects-icpc-probe-seeks-independent-panel/

Paul Ibe, media aide to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to investigate the alleged activities of the so-called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC. The remarks were contained in a statement posted on Ibe’s […] ‘Key suspects must step aside’ — Atiku’s aide reacts to Tinubu’s ICPC directive

…Asks President to come clean on his age, educational, family background By Omeiza Ajayi Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, has slammed the President Bola Tinubu administration for dragging Nigeria to a point where scandals are no longer viewed as isolated incidents but as recurring features of […] The post PFIPC: Troubling pattern of scandals now too frequent, Atiku tells Tinubu appeared first on Vanguard News.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has given President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to order a transparent, comprehensive, and independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).Atiku issued the demand on Friday, warning that failure to act would heighten public suspicion that influential figures in government may have benefited from the alleged scam and that job seekers could have been exploited by a racket operating with official protection. The directive comes amid escalating controversy over the purported agency. The Presidency has described the PFIPC as non-existent and labelled its claimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, an impostor currently facing criminal prosecution for forgery and impersonation.In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the issue has moved beyond one individual’s alleged forgery. He criticised the Presidency’s explanation as inadequate and suggested it appears to be an attempt to scapegoat a single person after an internal arrangement soured.“If the government wants Nigerians to believe that one man single-handedly created an office for himself, secured space in a government facility, held meetings with foreign embassies, visited the EFCC, processed staff salaries through official channels, and operated institutional accounts without any government knowledge, approval, negligence, or collaboration, then that narrative raises more questions than it answers,” the statement said.Atiku questioned how a supposedly fictitious agency could secure inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation Act with multi-billion naira allocations, obtain approval for recruiting over 300 personnel from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, and interact with government institutions and foreign missions.He stressed that budget processes and civil service recruitments involve multiple layers of approval — from ministries and the Budget Office to the National Assembly and presidential assent — and cannot occur by accident.“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 added.He called for a full forensic examination of all documents, approvals, and officials involved, stating that only an independent probe can determine the facts and restore public confidence in government institutions, the budgeting process, and the Federal Civil Service.“The President must order a comprehensive, independent investigation immediately. Anything short of that will amount to complicity by silence,” Atiku warned.The PFIPC saga has dominated public discussion in recent days, with conflicting claims between the Presidency and Adeyemi, who maintains his appointment was legitimate and possesses valid official documents. The matter is also before the Federal High Court in Abuja. This latest intervention from Atiku adds significant political pressure on the Tinubu administration to address growing questions about transparency and accountability in the handling of the scandal.