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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have rejected President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, insisting that only an independent commission of inquiry can ensure transparency, accountability and public confidence.
The opposition coalition described the decision to assign the probe to the ICPC as inadequate, arguing that the Federal Government cannot credibly investigate allegations in which it is itself a principal subject.
Atiku questioned the Presidency’s decision to order a fresh ICPC investigation after previously insisting that the Nigeria Police had already concluded its investigation and filed criminal charges against the principal suspect. According to him, if the earlier investigation was indeed comprehensive, there would be no justification for another probe, making the government’s position contradictory.
He also raised concerns over how an organisation the Presidency maintains never officially existed allegedly secured office space, opened bank accounts, recruited staff, engaged government agencies and operated publicly over an extended period without the knowledge or involvement of public officials.
The ADC further argued that the ICPC, being an agency under the executive arm of government, lacks the institutional independence required to conduct an impartial investigation into the controversy. The party warned that allowing the government to investigate itself would only deepen public suspicion and erode confidence in the outcome.
Consequently, the coalition called for the immediate establishment of an independent commission of inquiry comprising representatives of the Federal Government, opposition political parties, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, retired judicial officers and other eminent Nigerians. It proposed that the panel be mandated to conduct a comprehensive investigation and publish its findings within one month.
The opposition maintained that only a transparent, independent and non-partisan investigation capable of following the evidence wherever it leads would establish the truth, ensure accountability and restore public trust in the handling of the PFIPC scandal.
