Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday called on President Bola Tinubu to apologise to Nigerians and resign over the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
Atiku said the conflicting positions taken by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria over the opening of bank accounts linked to the PFIPC had raised questions about the handling of the matter.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the President should either order an independent investigation into the controversy or take responsibility.
He said, “This is where the cover-up appears to begin. One institution denied authorising the opening of the PFIPC accounts and alleged forgery. Another, before the representatives of the Nigerian people, stated that the accounts were opened on the directive of the Accountant-General after due process was followed. Both accounts cannot be true.”
According to him, the differing accounts from the two government institutions had created a credibility challenge for the administration.
“When two of your most sensitive financial and monetary authorities publicly contradict each other on the same transaction, no serious leader needs a clairvoyant to know that his administration is trapped in a web of deception and a profound crisis of credibility.
“The President cannot continue to watch from the sidelines while his government tears itself apart with conflicting narratives,” he said.
Atiku challenged Tinubu to clarify which of the two official positions his administration recognised.
“President Tinubu must answer a simple question: Which version does he believe—the Accountant-General’s or the Central Bank’s? If he believes neither, why has he not acted?” he asked.
He also criticised what he described as the silence of the Attorney-General of the Federation, saying it had heightened public concern over the controversy.
The former vice president urged the National Assembly to invite the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to appear jointly before its investigative committee to explain the conflicting accounts.
“The PFIPC scandal has ceased to be merely about disputed accounts. It has become a referendum on President Tinubu’s integrity and competence,” he said.
Atiku maintained that the President should restore public confidence by ensuring an independent investigation into the matter.
“President Tinubu owes Nigerians an unreserved apology for presiding over this unprecedented collapse of public accountability. If he cannot immediately restore public confidence through a genuinely independent investigation and ensure that everyone responsible is held to account, then he has forfeited the moral authority to continue in office. The honourable course is simple: apologise to Nigerians and resign,” he said.
The PFIPC controversy followed conflicting explanations by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria over the opening of accounts linked to the council.
The matter is currently under investigation by the House of Representatives.
