Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration of complicity in the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal.
The 2027 presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) claimed that the current administration effectively granted an allegedly fictitious organisation access to the highest levels of the Nigerian state.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the arrest of self-styled PFIPC Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi as a tactical move allegedly designed to shift blame toward the political opposition rather than expose the full extent of official involvement.
He argued that the core issue extends far beyond one individual’s alleged impersonation.
Atiku also pointed to how the entity reportedly secured diplomatic recognition, recruited over 300 personnel, obtained office space at the National Secretariat, and received budgetary provisions — including an alleged N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
“The scandal is not merely that one man allegedly impersonated public authority.
“The greater scandal is that the Tinubu administration allegedly opened the doors of the Nigerian state to him, allowed him to acquire the appearance and privileges of official legitimacy and permitted him to interact with institutions and diplomatic interests in the name of the Federal Government,” Atiku said.
The ADC presidential candidate also highlighted what he called broader fiscal irregularities in the 2026 budget.
He questioned the allocation of n6.44 billion for a “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers,” noting that Nigeria had already been eliminated from the competition in November 2025.
Adeyemi, who is in the custody of the Nigeria Police faces charges of forgery, impersonation, and obtaining money by false pretences.
He has since claimed he paid around N400 million in bribes to secure the position and named senior government figures, including Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila.
However, Atiku stressed that these are allegations that demand thorough, independent scrutiny.
He warned that the scandal has damaged Nigeria’s international reputation and urged against any attempt to sweep it under the carpet like previous controversies.
He expressed scepticism about the probe ordered by President Tinubu and assigned to the ICPC, describing it as self-serving and insufficient.
Atiku renewed his call for the National Assembly to establish an independent bipartisan panel to investigate who authorised the PFIPC, facilitated its operations, secured its funding and diplomatic access, and who ultimately benefited.
“Nigerians deserve the truth — not another carefully scripted public relations exercise,” Atiku added.
