Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has intensified pressure on the Federal Government over the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know the identities of public officials who allegedly enabled the controversial operation.
The 2027 presidential hopeful argued that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) interim report leaves critical questions unanswered, particularly regarding the alleged involvement of government insiders.
Rather than putting the matter to rest, Atiku said the report has only deepened public suspicion about how an alleged fake government agency was able to operate within the corridors of power.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku maintained that the scale of the allegations makes it difficult to believe that a single individual acted without assistance from people inside government.
According to him, if investigators have already acknowledged possible negligence or connivance within government institutions, Nigerians deserve to know exactly who was involved.
The former Vice President questioned how someone allegedly posing as a government official could gain access to offices, official processes and sensitive government facilities without support from insiders.
“If there was connivance, who connived? If public officers were negligent, who are they? Who granted access to government offices? Who recognised this supposed Director-General? Who enabled him to operate within the machinery of government?” Atiku asked.
‘Government Doors Do Not Open Themselves’
Atiku argued that the allegations surrounding the PFIPC extend far beyond claims of document forgery.
According to him, reports that a fake presidential appointment letter was allegedly used, government offices accessed, official instruments utilised and bank accounts opened suggest a coordinated operation that could not have happened without human involvement.
He insisted that every action attributed to the alleged scheme must have involved officials who either deliberately assisted or failed in their responsibilities.
“A fake agency does not walk into government offices by itself. A forged appointment letter does not validate itself. Bank accounts do not open themselves.”
He added that behind every alleged breach of government procedure was an individual who should be identified and held accountable.
While acknowledging the release of the ICPC’s interim findings, Atiku argued that the report falls short because it allegedly fails to identify officials who may have facilitated the operation.
According to him, Nigerians cannot be expected to accept the report as proof that government institutions have been cleared while questions about alleged collaborators remain unanswered.
He claimed the report appears to shield individuals whose actions may have made the alleged fraud possible.
“The identities should be made public, and their roles fully explained. Nigerians deserve to know who did what, who authorised what, and who opened the doors that made this possible,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate also challenged the National Assembly to conduct a fully transparent investigation into the controversy.
He argued that if the central figure in the case, Adeniyi Adeyemi, is willing to testify publicly, lawmakers should allow Nigerians to hear his account in an open hearing broadcast live across the country.
According to Atiku, transparency, not closed-door proceedings, is the only way to restore public confidence.
“The National Assembly should immediately institute an open, live-broadcast public hearing into this scandal,” he stated.
‘What Is The Presidency Afraid Of?’
Atiku further challenged the Presidency to support a public investigation if it has nothing to hide.
He argued that live televised proceedings would allow Nigerians to judge the evidence for themselves rather than relying on competing political narratives.
According to him, openness would strengthen public trust in the outcome of the investigation.
“If the Villa is truly clean, it should be the first to welcome live television coverage. Let Nigerians watch, unedited, as the witnesses testify and the evidence is presented under oath. What is the Presidency afraid of?”he asked.
Beyond the public hearing, the former Vice President called for the release of the complete ICPC report, including the names of any public officers found to have acted negligently or improperly.
He maintained that only a comprehensive and transparent investigation can address growing public concerns and eliminate suspicions that influential figures are being protected.
For Atiku, the controversy is no longer just about one alleged impostor, it is about accountability within government institutions and the public’s right to know who may have enabled the events surrounding the PFIPC scandal.
“Transparency cannot stop where the trail enters the corridors of power. The Presidency cannot investigate itself into innocence. Open the investigation. Put the witnesses under oath. Switch on the cameras. Let Nigerians hear the truth for themselves,” he said.