Atiku demands independent probe into PFIPC scandal within seven days
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has given President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to commission a transparent and independent investigation into the scandal surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement dated July 3, 2026, Atiku warned that failure to act would amount to complicity and undermine the credibility of Nigeria's core institutions.
Atiku rejects presidency's explanation as inadequate
Atiku dismissed the official response from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, arguing that it raised more questions than it resolved. He said it was implausible that a single individual could have secured government office space, held meetings with foreign embassy delegations, visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), processed staff salaries through official channels, and operated institutional accounts without any knowledge, negligence, or collaboration from within the government.
"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. Haba. Nigerians cannot be asked to swallow such a story whole," Atiku said. He acknowledged that the accused, Adeniyi Adeyemi, must face justice if he committed fraud, but insisted the more urgent question was how such an elaborate operation passed through budgetary, administrative, security, and institutional channels undetected.
Budget inclusion and recruitment approval deepen the crisis
Atiku pointed to two specific developments that he described as fundamentally altering the nature of the scandal. Public records showed the PFIPC was captured in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation running into billions of naira. Additionally, fresh reports indicated that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service allegedly approved the recruitment of over 300 personnel into the same agency.
"Budget preparation is a structured process involving ministries, departments, agencies, the Budget Office, the National Assembly and ultimately presidential assent," Atiku said. "These things do not happen by accident." He cited Chinua Achebe to make his point: "A man who has been asked to carry a basket of eggs does not break them all and then blame the road. The Presidency cannot continue blaming one man while refusing to account for the official systems that gave life to the scandal."
Atiku calls for full accountability
Atiku added that Prince Adeyemi's own public denial, in which he claimed that powerful figures were attempting to silence him, made an independent inquiry even more pressing. He said the Presidency was not the appropriate body to assess those claims through press statements. "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," Atiku said.
