PFIPC scandal exposes depth of institutional decay, ADC slams presidency

Nigeria's African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for an independent judicial commission of inquiry into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal. The opposition party accuses the President Bola Tinubu-led government of failing to adequately explain how an organization it now labels "fictitious" allegedly operated across multiple federal institutions.

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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 it deserves.

The ADC stated that the presidency's defense of the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has raised more questions than answers. The party insists the scandal serves as a critical test of the integrity of Nigeria's public institutions. In a statement on Friday, the ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the government's response as exposing "the staggering depth of institutional decay" within the current administration.

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By the presidency’s own account, a body it now describes as ‘fictitious’ allegedly managed to operate across multiple arms of the APC-led federal government, interfacing with ministries, corresponding with public institutions, engaging foreign diplomats, obtaining official recognition from various quarters, and leaving behind a trail that raises serious questions about governance, accountability, and national security.

"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 it deserves," the party said. The ADC questioned how an organization without legal existence could allegedly secure recruitment approvals, appear in government budget documents, correspond with foreign diplomats, and interact with various government agencies, if the presidency's claim of it being fictitious is accurate.

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It is no longer a matter involving one (sic) individual. It is a matter that goes to the heart of the security and integrity of the Nigerian state.

The party argued that the presidency's focus on clearing Gbajabiamila, rather than explaining the scheme's operation, suggests either complicity or incompetence. The ADC also referenced allegations that Gbajabiamila received substantial sums from Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, citing this and circulating documentary evidence as grounds for an independent investigation. The party identified 10 institutions and officials it believes should be investigated to unravel what it called one of the country's biggest governance scandals.

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The administration is either complicit or incompetent.