ADC seeks judicial probe of PFIPC scandal, lists 10 institutions for investigation

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate establishment of an independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

ADC stressed that the allegations linked to the body raise fundamental questions about governance, institutional integrity and national security.

The opposition party made the demand in a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, following the growing controversy over the PFIPC and allegations of bribery involving the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The ADC said it had closely monitored developments surrounding the scandal, including the July 1 statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, which it described as the Federal Government’s official response to the allegations.

According to the party, rather than address the key issues raised by the controversy, the Presidency’s response left more unanswered questions and focused primarily on clearing the Chief of Staff of wrongdoing without explaining how an organisation it now describes as fictitious allegedly operated across several government institutions.

The party argued that, based on the Presidency’s own account, the PFIPC allegedly interacted with ministries, government agencies, public institutions and foreign diplomats, raising serious concerns about accountability, governance and national security.

“It is our considered opinion that the issues involved point directly at the heart of national governance and raise fundamental questions about institutional integrity and must therefore be treated with the seriousness they deserve,” the statement said.

The ADC maintained that if the Presidency’s claim that the PFIPC was a fictitious organisation was correct, Nigerians deserved a full explanation of how such a body allegedly secured recruitment approvals, budgetary allocations, official correspondence, diplomatic engagements and recognition across different arms of government.

Conversely, it said if the PFIPC was not fictitious, the government owed Nigerians an explanation for publicly disowning what it described as a legitimate government body while defending officials accused of wrongdoing.

The party identified 10 institutions and individuals it said should be investigated to unravel the circumstances surrounding the controversy. They include the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and relevant committees of the National Assembly.

According to the party, the investigations should determine how documents bearing the authority of the Chief of Staff’s office were allegedly issued, whether recruitment waivers and budgetary provisions were legitimately approved, the extent of PFIPC’s engagements with foreign diplomats and government agencies, and whether public funds were expended using forged documents.

The ADC therefore urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to constitute an independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by eminent Nigerians with powers to summon witnesses, compel the production of official documents and establish whether there was negligence, abuse of office, misconduct, collusion or criminal wrongdoing.

According to the party, only an independent inquiry would be capable of restoring public confidence in government institutions, insisting that the issues raised by the scandal could not be resolved through official statements, selective denials or criminal prosecutions alone.

The opposition party also accused the Federal Government of applying double standards in the handling of corruption allegations, arguing that while security and anti-graft agencies had been deployed in previous cases involving opposition figures, no similar action had been taken over allegations involving the President’s Chief of Staff.

It warned that failure by the government to conduct a transparent investigation would reinforce public perceptions that the administration was unwilling to address allegations of corruption involving senior officials.

The ADC further vowed that should the Federal Government fail to act, an ADC-led administration would prioritise the investigation of the PFIPC affair, promising that every approval, financial transaction, budgetary allocation and public official connected with the controversy would be subjected to scrutiny and that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.