Ayekooto Akindele, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress, has formally requested a comprehensive probe into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council controversy. This push for accountability follows claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who identifies as the council’s Director General, that he paid bribes to Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff. While the presidency has formally disowned both the agency and Matthew, the latter maintains his appointment is authentic and claims the Chief of Staff was aware of his activities.
Akindele expressed his belief that Matthew is supported by internal and external collaborators. He is demanding that authorities scrutinize several high-level departments, including the office of the Director General of the Budget, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Inspector General of Police. Specifically, Akindele questions why public funds were allocated to this phantom council, how bank accounts were authorized for it, and why police security was provided to Matthew during his operations. Furthermore, he highlighted that a director within the Office of the Head of Service allegedly approved the recruitment of staff for this non-existent entity, and he insists that civil servants who facilitated office access at the Federal Secretariat must be held accountable for their actions.
