Atiku Abubakar has given President Bola Tinubu a one-week deadline to launch an independent and comprehensive inquiry into the ongoing crisis surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). Through his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President cautioned that ignoring this request will likely confirm public fears that high-ranking officials profited from the scheme.
The situation has escalated from simple forgery claims to a significant crisis regarding the integrity of government institutions. Atiku expressed skepticism over the official response provided by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, suggesting it lacks coherence. He emphasized that the idea of an individual operating a fake agency within government buildings, securing meetings with diplomats, and influencing staff payroll without internal oversight is highly improbable.
While acknowledging that the primary suspect, Adeniyi Adeyemi, must face legal consequences for his alleged fraud, Atiku questioned how the administration’s security and budgetary systems permitted such an operation to persist undetected. He argued that the real issue lies in the systemic failures that allowed a fraudulent office to function alongside legitimate government departments.
