Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, has criticized the Presidency’s attempt to exonerate itself regarding the fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) controversy. Through his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku stated that the preliminary findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) do not prove the administration is blameless.
Atiku pointed out that the ICPC report highlights significant negligence and potential collusion among public officials, which permitted a fraudulent agency to function within government premises. He questioned how an impostor could forge appointment papers, establish a fake agency, and gain access to federal facilities without internal assistance. He demanded that the names of the involved officials be disclosed to the public.
Furthermore, the former vice president insisted that the full ICPC report be released, arguing that an interim document cannot serve as a final verdict while investigations remain active. He urged the National Assembly to initiate a public, live-broadcast inquiry into the matter, especially since the primary suspect, Mr. Adeyemi, has expressed a willingness to testify.
Atiku cautioned that failing to conduct a transparent probe would only deepen public distrust and fuel suspicions that influential figures are being shielded from accountability. He emphasized that the government must allow witnesses to testify under oath, noting that the Presidency should not be allowed to act as the sole arbiter of its own conduct.
