Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to investigate the activities of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, insisting that only an independent commission of inquiry can establish the truth behind the controversy.
Mr Atiku, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the President’s order to the anti-graft agency came seven days after he issued an ultimatum demanding a transparent investigation into the alleged phantom presidential council.
According to the former vice president, the directive amounts to an admission by the Presidency that previous claims that the matter had already been comprehensively investigated by the police were either inadequate or incapable of addressing key questions surrounding the affair.
He argued that the Presidency had earlier maintained that the case had been fully investigated following petitions submitted by the Chief of Staff in October 2025, with the principal suspect arrested, documentary evidence recovered, bank accounts traced, statements obtained and criminal charges already filed before the Federal High Court.
“If all of that is true, what exactly is the ICPC expected to spend another thirty days investigating?” Atiku asked.
He maintained that if the police investigation was truly exhaustive, another probe would be unnecessary, adding that if a fresh investigation had become necessary, it was an indication that the earlier exercise was insufficient.
According to him, the President’s directive for the ICPC to investigate the “wider circumstances” surrounding the PFIPC also contradicts the earlier narrative that the alleged fraud was solely the handiwork of one individual.
“The issue before Nigerians is no longer whether one individual allegedly forged documents. The issue is how an organisation the Presidency insists never existed allegedly acquired office accommodation, interacted with government institutions, sought diplomatic recognition, reportedly conducted recruitment exercises, operated multiple bank accounts and projected the authority of government over an extended period,” he said.
Atiku further questioned the 30-day deadline given to the ICPC, describing it as excessive for a matter the Presidency had repeatedly claimed was already substantially investigated.
He also drew attention to reports that the father of the principal suspect was only arrested last week despite official claims that investigations had long been concluded, saying the development raises questions about the status and scope of the case.
The ADC presidential candidate argued that the central issue was no longer the timeline of the investigation but its credibility, insisting that a government agency could not impartially investigate allegations that potentially implicate institutions within the same government.
“What Nigerians demanded was never another internal government investigation. We demanded an independent investigation,” he said.
Mr Atiku also questioned the appointment of a senior Presidency official, whose name he said had been publicly linked to the controversy, to chair the implementation committee on state police, arguing that although mere mention does not establish culpability, such an appointment could undermine public confidence in the investigation.
He called for the immediate establishment of a Special Independent Commission of Inquiry made up of 10 eminent Nigerians nominated by the Federal Government, the ADC, the National Democratic Coalition, NDC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, retired judicial officers and other respected Nigerians.
According to him, the proposed panel should be empowered to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the PFIPC affair, review the findings already compiled by the police and other security agencies, summon serving and former public officials where necessary, publish a White Paper on its findings and conclude its assignment within one month without requiring approval from any government authority.
He further argued that President Tinubu’s commitment to transparency would ultimately be judged by his willingness to submit the matter to an inquiry that is genuinely independent.
“The issue before the nation is no longer Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew. The issue is whether public institutions were compromised, whether official processes were abused, and whether the government has the courage to permit an independent inquiry that follows the evidence wherever it leads,” Mr Atiku said.
He maintained that anything short of an independent investigation would deepen public suspicion rather than restore confidence in government institutions.
