The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday called for the constitution of an independent judicial panel to investigate the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The party argued that a probe conducted solely by government agencies would not command public confidence.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the matter but maintained that “only an independent judicial panel” could provide answers beyond reasonable doubt to the issues raised by what it described as a “historic scandal.”
The party said assigning the investigation to the ICPC, an agency under the executive branch, could create the impression that the Presidency intends to keep the probe in-house. It urged the President to restore public confidence by establishing a panel made up of respected and independent citizens.
“This is why the President should seize this moment as an opportunity to restore some credibility to his government by allowing an independent inquiry made up of trusted citizens. A government that is drowning in scandals cannot be trusted to investigate itself,” the statement said.
The ADC also criticised official statements that appeared to conclude, before the commencement of investigations, that documents linked to the controversy had been forged. It insisted that investigators should be allowed to determine independently whether the documents were forged, improperly issued, fraudulently obtained, or lawfully authorised.
“The investigation must be allowed to independently determine whether the documents were forged, improperly issued, fraudulently obtained, or lawfully issued under the authority of the Presidency. The credibility of the entire exercise depends on allowing investigators to follow the evidence wherever it leads, rather than predetermining the outcome through official pronouncements,” the ADC added.
The party further called for all offices connected to the Presidency, including that of the Chief of Staff, to be subjected to the same scrutiny. It said the Chief of Staff should step aside or proceed on leave pending the conclusion of the investigation to dispel any perception of interference.
The ADC additionally urged the Federal Government to make the outcome of the investigation public, stressing that a report submitted only to the President would be inadequate and that Nigerians deserve full disclosure of the facts surrounding the matter.
