Tinubu must name Villa insiders involved in PFIPC fraud — Atiku demands
By Precious Mark
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to identify the officials within the Presidential Villa who allegedly facilitated the fraudulent operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Atiku stated that the interim report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) regarding the fictitious council acts as an indictment rather than an exoneration of the administration.
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Friday, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) noted that the findings explicitly acknowledge negligence and connivance within government processes.
According to the ICPC investigation, an individual allegedly forged a presidential appointment letter, created a fictitious federal agency, appropriated offices belonging to the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council, opened bank accounts using forged legislative instruments, and established two additional fake government agencies.
Atiku questioned how the Presidency could claim its systems were above board while simultaneously admitting that government processes were compromised to enable a fraud of this magnitude.
“If there was connivance, who connived? If public officers were negligent, who are they? Who granted access to government offices? Who recognized this supposed Director-General? Who enabled him to operate within the machinery of government?” Atiku asked.
He noted that the ICPC’s recommendation of sanctions against public officers whose negligence facilitated the operation demolishes any attempt to portray the scandal as the work of a single impostor operating in isolation.
“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. Behind every door that opened, every process that was bypassed, and every official instrument that was accessed was a human being. Name them,” he stated.
“What the ICPC interim report has done, in the main, is shield the identities of shadow operatives within the Presidency who allegedly connived to enable the fraud.”
“Their identities should be made public and their roles fully explained. Nigerians deserve to know who did what, who authorized what, and who opened the doors that made this possible,” Atiku added.
The former Vice President maintained that an interim report cannot be converted into a presidential certificate of innocence while investigations into possible collaborators and associated bank accounts remain active.
He called on the National Assembly to immediately institute an open, live-broadcast public hearing into the scandal, particularly following public statements by the central figure in the saga, Mr. Adeyemi, offering to testify publicly under oath.
“The Presidency now has nowhere left to hide. If Mr. Adeyemi is prepared to appear publicly, testify under oath, and answer questions before Nigerians, then let him be heard.”
“The Presidency must not attempt to block, gag, or shield anyone connected to this matter. If the Villa is truly clean, it should be the first to welcome live television coverage,” Atiku said.
Warning against any cover-up attempts, Atiku emphasized that anything short of a transparent public hearing would deepen public suspicion that politically exposed persons or officials within the Presidency are being protected from accountability.
“You cannot admit negligence and connivance within government and simultaneously pronounce the system spotless. That is like washing charcoal and expecting white water.”
“Transparency cannot stop where the trail enters the corridors of power. The Presidency cannot investigate itself into innocence,” he added.