The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent forensic investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
In a statement issued on Sunday by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the group also demanded the immediate suspension of public officials connected to the matter pending the outcome of the investigation.
The PDP faction described the controversy as evidence of serious administrative lapses within the federal government, saying the conflicting claims involving Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to head the council, and the Presidency have raised troubling questions about governance and institutional accountability.
According to the statement, the Presidency’s explanation that the PFIPC does not exist fails to address how the organisation allegedly operated from a government office, secured budgetary allocations, maintained accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and interacted with agencies of government without detection.
The party argued that if the government’s account is accurate, it would expose significant weaknesses in the country’s public institutions. It added that if Adeyemi’s allegations are eventually proven, it would point to a serious case of corruption within the administration.
The faction maintained that, regardless of which version is established, Nigerians stand to lose and deserve a transparent investigation into the matter.
It also cited what it described as a pattern of governance failures under the current administration, alleging that previous controversies have raised similar concerns about accountability and oversight.
The PDP faction said the appropriate response would be to commission an independent forensic audit by a reputable international firm, suspend all officials linked to the controversy, reorganise relevant offices within the Presidency, and publicly account to Nigerians.
It accused the federal government of attempting to downplay the issue instead of addressing the concerns through an open and credible investigation.
The opposition group warned that failure to ensure full accountability could further weaken public confidence in government institutions and strengthen demands for political change ahead of the 2027 general election.
Background
The controversy began after Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, publicly disowned the appointment of Adeniyi Adeyemi as head of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, insisting that no such agency exists under the Tinubu administration.
Adeyemi rejected the disclaimer and called for an independent investigation into the dispute.
The matter escalated after the Presidency, through presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, accused Adeyemi of forging appointment documents and falsely presenting himself as a presidential appointee.
According to the Presidency, the Nigeria Police Force has filed an eight-count criminal charge against Adeyemi over the allegations.
Adeyemi, however, has alleged that he paid ₦400 million to secure the appointment, with an outstanding balance of ₦200 million, and claimed the dispute arose after he refused demands to surrender 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant.
The controversy has also drawn attention after reports showed that the disputed council received a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act, operated an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, maintained office space within the Federal Secretariat, and reportedly obtained approval to recruit 300 staff members.
