Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded an independent investigation into the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, or PFIPC, scandal, warning that the controversy extends beyond the alleged actions of its self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
In a statement issued by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku alleged that the Federal Government may be attempting to control the narrative, shield officials from scrutiny, and redirect blame towards opposition figures.
He described Adeyemi’s arrest as insufficient to resolve the scandal, arguing that the more serious question was how an organization now disowned by the presidency allegedly gained access to government institutions, secured office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, recruited more than 300 personnel, and obtained diplomatic recognition.
Atiku also cited reports that the organization received an alleged ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 budget.
According to him, such extensive operations could not have occurred without official collaboration or a major failure of oversight across several government agencies.
“The greater scandal is that the Tinubu administration allegedly opened the doors of the Nigerian state to him,” Atiku said.
He also linked the PFIPC controversy to wider concerns about the integrity of the 2026 federal budget.
Atiku questioned an alleged ₦6.44 billion allocation for a “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers,” despite Nigeria reportedly having been eliminated from the qualification process before the budget was presented.
He asked who inserted and approved the provision, what competition the money was meant to support, and who was expected to benefit from it.
Atiku said the allocation strengthened concerns that the federal budget had become a vehicle for questionable spending and provisions without clear public purpose.
Adeyemi is facing allegations of forgery, impersonation, and obtaining money by false pretenses. He has also publicly alleged that he paid about ₦400 million in bribes and has mentioned senior government officials, including the chief of staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Atiku stressed that the claims remain allegations but insisted that they require a transparent and impartial investigation.
He rejected the probe reportedly ordered by President Bola Tinubu and assigned to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, describing it as inadequate and incapable of inspiring public confidence.
Atiku called on the National Assembly to establish an independent bipartisan panel to investigate the PFIPC’s operations, alleged budgetary provisions, access to public institutions, and those who may have benefited.
He also urged the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organizations, and the diplomatic community to resist any attempt to cover up the scandal.
According to him, Nigerians deserve to know who authorized the PFIPC, facilitated its operations, and inserted funds for it in the national budget.
