Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected the interim report by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting it does not exonerate the Presidency from wrongdoing. In a statement issued on Friday, August 7, 2026, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the report's own findings of negligence and connivance within government circles prove that more than one individual was involved in the alleged fraud.
ICPC Report Findings: Negligence and Connivance
According to Atiku, the ICPC's interim report documented that a suspect allegedly forged a presidential appointment letter, created a fictitious federal agency, occupied offices previously used by the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, opened bank accounts using forged legislative documents, impersonated government officials, and established two additional fake agencies. Atiku questioned how such activities could have occurred without internal facilitation, asking: "If there was connivance, who connived? If public officers were negligent, who are they? Who granted access to government offices? Who recognised this supposed Director-General? Who enabled him to operate within the machinery of government?"
The opposition leader, who is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, noted that the ICPC's reported recommendation for sanctions against negligent public officers directly contradicts any suggestion that the fraud was the work of a single impostor. "A fake agency does not walk into government offices by itself. A forged appointment letter does not validate itself. Bank accounts do not open themselves. Behind every door that opened, every process that was bypassed and every official instrument that was accessed was a human being. Name them," he said.
Atiku Calls for Live Public Hearing
Atiku called on the National Assembly to organise an open, live-broadcast public hearing into the matter, pointing out that the central figure in the controversy, identified as Mr Adeyemi, had publicly expressed readiness to testify before lawmakers. "The Presidency now has nowhere left to hide. If Mr. Adeyemi is prepared to appear publicly, testify under oath, and answer questions before Nigerians, then let him be heard," he said. He warned that any move to block such a hearing would fuel public suspicion that powerful individuals were being protected.
The ADC presidential candidate also insisted that the interim report should not be treated as a final clearance for the Presidency while probes into alleged collaborators and related bank accounts remain open. He called for the full ICPC report and the identities of culpable officials to be made public. "Transparency cannot stop where the trail enters the corridors of power. The presidency cannot investigate itself into innocence," he said.
Background: The Fake Agency Scandal
The controversy began when reports emerged that a man named Adeyemi had been operating a fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, using forged documents to gain access to government facilities. The ICPC launched an investigation and submitted an interim report to President Bola Tinubu, which reportedly uncovered two additional fake agencies. Atiku's response comes amid his preparations for the 2027 presidential election, where he is expected to challenge Tinubu. Earlier, Atiku accused 'anti-democratic elements' of attempting to create confusion and dampen the momentum of the ADC, dismissing rumours that he had quit active politics as fake news.
