ADC Seeks Independent Judicial Inquiry into Alleged PFIPC Scandal, Lists 10 Institutions for Probe
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for an independent judicial inquiry into the alleged corruption and bribery scandal involving the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The party affirmed that, having observed the raging scandal, the issues involved point directly to the heart of national governance, raise fundamental questions about institutional integrity, and must therefore be treated with the seriousness they deserve.
According to a statement signed by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party also took note of the statement issued on July 1 by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The ADC argued that rather than providing answers to the questions surrounding the scandal, the APC-led government’s response raised even more concerns.
“If anything, it actually exposed the staggering depth of institutional decay under the APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu, suggesting that under Tinubu’s watch, the Presidency may have become a nest of fraudsters.
“Focusing on exonerating the key government official at the heart of the scandal, who incidentally has been serially dogged by similar allegations in the past, without addressing how this level of criminality was even possible in the first place, confirms that the administration is either complicit or incompetent,” the party said.
Referencing the presidency’s own account, Abdullahi lamented that a body described 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.
He stated that the issue is no longer a matter involving one individual but one that goes to the heart of the security and integrity of the Nigerian state under the Tinubu administration.
Citing the Presidency’s statement and documentary evidence already in the public domain, the ADC identified 10 individuals and government institutions that it said must be investigated to unravel the mystery behind the alleged scandal, which it claimed would have ended many political careers in saner climes.
The individuals and government institutions include:
– The Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila: To determine how documents bearing the authority of his office were issued and to investigate publicly reported claims that he received bribes ranging from ₦200 million to ₦600 million from Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
– Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi: To establish the full extent of his role in the creation, operation, and promotion of PFIPC; to verify the authenticity of the documents and approvals he publicly relied upon; to investigate his claims of making payments to senior government officials; and to determine whether he acted alone or as part of a wider network involving public officials and private actors.
– The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume: To establish whether any approvals, recognitions, or official records relating to PFIPC existed in his office.
– The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack: To determine whether she approved a recruitment waiver for more than 300 civil servants into an organisation the presidency now says never existed.
– The Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu: To explain how PFIPC reportedly appeared in the 2026 Appropriation with a budget running into billions of naira.
– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: To determine the extent of PFIPC’s engagements with foreign diplomats and whether established diplomatic protocols were subverted or bypassed altogether.
– The Office of the National Security Adviser: To establish how what the President alleged was possible and why his office failed to detect or take action.
– The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force: To explain the timeline of their investigations, if any, and whether earlier intervention could have prevented the alleged activities.
– The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria: To determine how public funds could have been drawn and expended by a fictitious organisation using allegedly forged documents.
– The relevant oversight committees of the National Assembly, including the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, and the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements: To establish the basis upon which official correspondence and invitations were reportedly extended to PFIPC.
The party noted that the matter must not be swept under the presidential red carpet and called for the immediate establishment of an independent Judicial Panel of Inquiry headed by persons of unquestionable integrity, to investigate every aspect of the PFIPC affair, summoning all those listed above, as well as any other relevant persons, as witnesses.
It explained that the panel should have full powers to compel the production of documents and determine the extent of any negligence, misconduct, collusion, abuse of office, and criminal wrongdoing involved in the case.
Abdullahi said that if the PFIPC was indeed a fictitious organisation, as alleged by the presidency, Nigerians deserve to know how such an organisation allegedly secured recruitment approvals, budgetary allocations, official correspondence, diplomatic engagements, interactions with federal institutions, and recognition across multiple arms of government.
He added that if, contrary to the presidency’s position, the PFIPC is not a fictitious organisation, then Nigerians deserve to know why the government has decided to publicly disown what would otherwise be a legitimate government agency as a way of defending one of its officials against serious bribery allegations.
“These are serious questions that cannot be answered by press statements, selective denials, or criminal prosecutions alone. Only a truly independent judicial inquiry can establish the facts, identify those responsible, and restore public confidence in the integrity of our institutions,” he said.
Abdullahi stressed that the damage the scandal has done to the integrity of Nigeria’s public institutions is incalculable. “We imagine that when next a government agency engages with the international diplomatic communities, serious questions must be lurking at the back of their minds whether the government would wake up tomorrow and deny that such agencies actually exist.”
According to him, the Tinubu-led APC administration has, since President Tinubu assumed office, done everything to lower the country’s moral and ethical standards.
“But this appears to be the height of it,” he decried, calling on Nigerians to ensure that the Tinubu administration is held accountable.
He argued that while Nigeria would continue to exist beyond the lifespan of any administration, the country might never fully recover from the damage being done today.
The ADC compared the matter with allegations previously made against former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, noting that the government had no hesitation in deploying agencies such as the ICPC, the DSS, and the EFCC.
“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.”
The party asserted that the apparent 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 called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately establish an independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry, chaired by eminent and independent Nigerians, to uncover the full truth behind the PFIPC scandal.
Abdullahi argued that anything short of a transparent, public, and independent inquiry would only reinforce the long-held public perception that the administration is unwilling to confront allegations of corruption involving powerful public office holders.
“Let there be no mistake, if this administration refuses to act, or chooses to bury this scandal instead of exposing the truth, the ADC will make the PFIPC scandal one of the very first accountability priorities of an ADC-led government,” he said.
He reiterated that every approval, every budgetary allocation, every piece of official correspondence, every financial transaction, and every public officer connected to the scandal would be subjected to the highest level of scrutiny.
“Those found to have abused public office, violated the law, or enriched themselves at the expense of the Nigerian people will be pursued to the full extent of the law. There will be no sacred cows, no untouchables, and no hiding place for corruption,” he added.
