Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has labeled the presidency’s recent defense of Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila as a self-incriminating admission of institutional failure. The controversy involves the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and its director, Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is accused of orchestrating a significant bribery scheme.
While presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga issued a statement absolving Gbajabiamila of wrongdoing regarding claims that he received a N400 million bribe, Atiku argues that this explanation raises more questions than it settles. He contends that suggesting a private citizen operated a fake government agency, complete with an office in the Federal Secretariat and access to state resources, implies a severe breakdown of security and administrative protocols.
Atiku highlighted a major discrepancy regarding the PFIPC: while the administration claims the agency is fraudulent, public records indicate that roughly N1.3 billion was earmarked for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act. He questioned how such a sum could be inserted into the national budget, approved by the National Assembly, and signed into law if the agency were truly fictitious.
Consequently, the former vice president is calling for a thorough, independent investigation into the National Assembly, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He asserts that the current situation represents a total collapse of governance, where public funds are diverted into shadowy entities while ordinary citizens face extreme economic hardship.
