The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an independent and transparent investigation into the alleged scandal involving the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku gave the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to act on the matter, warning that failure to do so would deepen public distrust in government institutions.

Atiku expressed concern that the controversy had moved beyond individual allegations of forgery and had now become an issue of institutional credibility.

He criticised the Presidency’s earlier explanation, saying it raised more questions than answers and could not reasonably explain how the alleged activities went unnoticed within official systems.

He argued that claims suggesting one individual operated within government structures—securing office space in a government facility, engaging with foreign delegations, visiting the EFCC, and processing salaries—without institutional knowledge appeared unrealistic.

He further pointed to reports that the PFIPC was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budget running into billions of naira, and that over 300 staff were allegedly recruited through approvals from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service.

According to him, such processes involve multiple layers of government oversight and could not have happened without institutional involvement or negligence.

Atiku also referenced Chinua Achebe’s analogy about eggs and a basket to stress that blame cannot be placed solely on one individual while ignoring systemic failures.

He insisted that while any guilty party should face the law, the government must account for how official structures allegedly enabled or failed to detect the situation.

He added that an independent investigation is necessary, especially in light of claims and counterclaims surrounding the case, warning that silence or inaction would be seen as complicity.