The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to assign the investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), insisting that only an independent judicial panel can guarantee a credible probe.
The party made its position known in a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
While acknowledging the President’s directive for the ICPC to investigate the controversy surrounding the alleged PFIPC, the ADC argued that an agency operating under the Executive arm of government lacks the independence required to handle a matter involving the Presidency.
According to the statement, entrusting the investigation to the ICPC could weaken public confidence in the outcome.
“The Presidency that is at the very heart of a historic scandal such as this does not have the credibility to authorise an investigation into a matter that has brought an entire country into disrepute,” the statement read.
The opposition party called on President Tinubu to instead establish an independent judicial panel to determine whether the appointment letters and other official documents associated with the alleged council were forged, improperly issued, or legitimately authorised.
The ADC further urged the President to direct his Chief of Staff to step aside while the investigation is ongoing if officials within the Presidency are to be investigated, arguing that such a move would eliminate any perception of interference.
The party also demanded that the findings of the investigation be made public in their entirety to promote transparency and accountability.
Reacting to reports that the father of Adeniyi Adeyemi was arrested, the ADC described the action as an act of intimidation, stressing that under Nigerian law, only individuals directly accused of committing an offence can be held responsible.
“If indeed a crime has been committed, only the suspect can be legally arrested. It is an established fact that Nigerian law does not have provision for vicarious liability,” the statement added.
The alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) controversy has generated widespread public attention following claims that individuals were issued appointment letters and official documents purportedly linked to a presidential body whose legal status has been questioned. The development sparked calls for a thorough investigation, with opposition parties and civil society groups demanding accountability and greater transparency over the authenticity of the documents and the circumstances surrounding the alleged council’s activities.
