The African Democratic Congress has called for an independent judicial commission of inquiry into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, accusing the President Bola Tinubu-led government of failing to explain how an organisation it now describes as “fictitious” allegedly operated across several federal institutions.
The opposition party said the presidency’s defence of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had raised more questions than answers, insisting that the scandal had become a test of the integrity of Nigeria’s public institutions.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the government’s response to the controversy had exposed what it described as “The staggering depth of institutional decay” in the current government.
“The issues involved point directly at the heart of national governance and raise fundamental questions about institutional integrity and must therefore be treated with the seriousness it deserves,” the party said.
Abdullahi was reacting to a July 1 statement by the presidency through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in which the government described the PFIPC as a fictitious organisation.
According to the opposition party, if the presidency’s position is accurate, Nigerians deserve an explanation as to how an organisation without legal existence allegedly secured recruitment approvals, appeared in government budget documents, corresponded with public institutions, engaged foreign diplomats and interacted with multiple government agencies.
“By the presidency’s own account, a body it now describes as ‘fictitious’ allegedly managed to operate across multiple arms of the APC-led federal government, interfacing with ministries, corresponding with public institutions, engaging foreign diplomats, obtaining official recognition from various quarters, and leaving behind a trail that raises serious questions about governance, accountability, and national security,” the statement said.
“It is no longer a matter involving one (sic) individual. It is a matter that goes to the heart of the security and integrity of the Nigerian state,” it added.
The party argued that the presidency’s decision to focus on clearing Gbajabiamila of wrongdoing, rather than explaining how the alleged scheme was able to thrive, suggested “The administration is either complicit or incompetent.”
The ADC also referenced allegations that Gbajabiamila received between N200m and N600m from Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, saying the claims, alongside documentary evidence already circulating publicly, warranted an independent investigation.
To unravel what it described as one of the country’s biggest governance scandals, the party identified 10 institutions and public officials it said should be investigated.
They include the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Budget Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria and relevant committees of the National Assembly.
The party said the proposed judicial panel should be empowered to summon witnesses, compel the production of documents and determine whether any acts of negligence, abuse of office, collusion or criminal wrongdoing were committed.
“This matter must not be swept under the presidential red carpet.
“Only a truly independent judicial inquiry can establish the facts, identify those responsible, and restore public confidence in the integrity of our institutions,” the statement further read.
The opposition party also accused the Federal Government of applying different standards in handling corruption allegations involving political opponents and senior officials within the presidency.
It cited the government’s response to allegations involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, noting that agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Department of State Services were promptly deployed in that case.
“Yet, in a matter involving serious allegations concerning the Chief of Staff to the President, the same government has not deemed it necessary even to ask Femi Gbajabiamila to step aside pending an independent investigation.
“This glaring double standard undermines public confidence and reinforces the perception that there is one standard of accountability for political opponents, and another for those within the inner circle of power,” it said.
The party warned that if the Tinubu-led government failed to order a transparent investigation, an ADC government would revisit the matter if elected into office.
“Every approval, every budgetary allocation, every official correspondence, every financial transaction, and every public officer connected to this scandal will be subjected to the highest level of scrutiny
“There will be no sacred cows, no untouchables, and no hiding place for corruption,” it noted.
The PFIPC controversy emerged following allegations linking the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council to questionable official approvals, recruitment exercises, budgetary allocations and interactions with several government institutions.
While the presidency has maintained that the council is a fictitious organisation and has dismissed allegations against the President’s Chief of Staff, the controversy has continued to generate public debate, with opposition parties demanding a fuller explanation of how the organisation allegedly operated within government circles despite its purported non-existence.
