Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has rejected the interim report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) regarding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, asserting that the document raises far more questions than answers and acts as a shield for government insiders.
In a scathing statement issued on Friday, August 7, 2026, from Abuja through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately publish the identities of Villa officials whose “negligence and connivance” allegedly enabled the multi-billion naira fraud.
Atiku argued that while the ICPC interim report acknowledges official “negligence and connivance” within government machinery, it conveniently shields the names of those who facilitated access to government facilities and tools.
He stressed that the activities of the central figure, Adeniyi Adeyemi who allegedly forged presidential appointment letters, commandeered former Presidential Economic Advisory Council offices, and opened illicit bank accounts—could not have occurred without senior-level collaboration.
With Adeyemi reportedly offering to testify under oath before the National Assembly, Atiku urged the federal government and parliament to host an open, live-broadcast hearing to ensure unedited transparency.
Rebutting attempts by the presidency to treat the interim report as an exoneration, Atiku maintained that a fraudulent agency cannot establish itself inside the corridors of power without human facilitators.
”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,” Atiku stated. “Behind every door that opened, every process that was bypassed, and every official instrument that was accessed was a human being. If there was connivance, who connived? If public officers were negligent, who are they? Name them.”
Atiku emphasized that the interim nature of the ICPC report means the administration cannot declare itself cleared while investigations into associated bank accounts and internal co-conspirators remain ongoing.
The PFIPC controversy has rocked the political landscape in recent months following allegations involving forged presidential instruments, illegal creation of government bodies, and questionable budgetary allocations, including a ₦1.3 billion provision in the national budget for the disputed council.
The main suspect, Adeniyi Adeyemi, who previously alleged paying hundreds of millions in bribes to secure recognition, faces criminal charges of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who volunteered information to the ICPC on July 20, 2026, has firmly denied any involvement and instituted a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi.
Atiku concluded by challenging the Presidency to demonstrate genuine commitment to anti-corruption by allowing a live, unedited public probe broadcast to all Nigerians.
”Transparency cannot stop where the trail enters the corridors of power. The Presidency cannot investigate itself into innocence,” he said. “Open the investigation. Put the witnesses under oath. Switch on the cameras. Let Nigerians hear the truth for themselves.”
