Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has said that the attempt by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to divert attention from key issues and shield those who should be held accountable over the scandal surrounding the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) would not just work.
This was as Atiku drew attention to another allocation of ₦6.44 billion for a “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers despite Nigeria’s elimination from the qualification race months before the budget was presented.
He said; “How does a government budget ₦6.44 billion for World Cup qualifiers after Nigeria had already been eliminated? Who inserted the provision, who approved it, and what was the intended purpose of the allocation?” he asked?
Atiku, in a statement on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, declared that the arrest of the Director-General of the fake PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, was insufficient to resolving the scandal, stressing that the investigation must go beyond the actions of one individual.
The statement which was signed by Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, noted that the central question is how an organisation the Presidency reportedly described as non-existent operated within the highest levels of government, secured diplomatic recognition, recruited hundreds of personnel, obtained office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat and was reportedly captured in the national budget.
According to Atiku; “The scandal is not merely that one man allegedly impersonated public authority. The greater question is how such an organisation allegedly gained access to government institutions and operated with apparent official recognition”.
Atiku, who is also the 2027 Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), pointedly linked the PFIPC controversy to what he described as questionable provisions in the 2026 Appropriation Act, stressing that the budgetary provision raises broader concerns about transparency, fiscal discipline and the integrity of the federal budgeting process.
While referencing allegations made by Adeyemi, including claims that he paid about ₦400 million in bribes to secure his position and mentioned senior government officials, Atiku stressed that the allegations remain unproven and should be subjected to an independent, transparent, and impartial investigation.
In the words of Atiku; “The PFIPC controversy has become a major test of accountability and should not be treated as an isolated incident or resolved through a controlled internal process”.
The ADC Presidential candidate expressed serious reservations over the Federal Government’s decision to have the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) investigate the matter, stressing that a probe conducted by agencies under the executive arm of government may not inspire public confidence.
Atiku insisted that an independent investigation was necessary owing to the fact that the allegations touched on individuals within the Tinubu-led administration.
Atiku also raised concerns over what he described as attempts to influence public perception of the controversy while legal proceedings relating to aspects of the matter are ongoing, thus called on the National Assembly to constitute a bi-partisan panel to investigate every aspect of the PFIPC controversy.
The former Vice President also appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations, the diplomatic community and other stakeholders to support a transparent process.
Atiku further said; “Nigerians deserve to know who authorised the PFIPC, how it allegedly gained access to government institutions, who facilitated its operations and whether public funds were allocated to it.
“The country deserves a credible investigation that establishes the facts and strengthens public confidence in governance,” he stated.
