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By Lawrence Agbo
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the ICPC to investigate the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), saying only an independent inquiry can ensure transparency and public confidence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the President’s decision to order a fresh investigation contradicted the Presidency’s earlier claim that the matter had already been thoroughly investigated by the Nigeria Police.
“Only one week ago, the Presidency emphatically told Nigerians that the matter had already been investigated by the police… If all of that is true, what exactly is the ICPC expected to spend another 30 days investigating?” he asked.
According to Atiku, the fresh directive amounts to an admission that the previous police investigation was inadequate.
“If the police investigation was comprehensive, another investigation is unnecessary. If another investigation has become necessary, then the inevitable conclusion is that the earlier investigation was insufficient.The president cannot simultaneously maintain both positions without contradicting his own government,” he said.
The former vice president argued that the controversy had gone beyond allegations against one individual, raising questions about how an organisation the Presidency insists never existed allegedly operated openly, secured office accommodation, engaged government institutions, conducted recruitment exercises and maintained bank accounts.
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“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 and projected the authority of government over an extended period,” he stated.
Atiku further criticised the 30-day timeline given to the ICPC, describing it as unnecessary for a case the government claimed had already been investigated.
“This is not a fresh crime scene. It is not a newly discovered fraud. Nigerians deserve answers within days, not another cycle of delay,” he said.
He maintained that an agency of the Federal Government could not impartially investigate a controversy involving government institutions, calling instead for the establishment of a Special Independent Commission of Inquiry.
According to him, the proposed panel should include representatives of the Federal Government, the ADC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), retired judicial officers and other eminent Nigerians.
“The issue before the nation is no longer Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi. 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,” Atiku added.
He insisted that only an independent investigation would restore public confidence, warning that any internal government probe would deepen public suspicion rather than resolve the controversy.
