The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, insisting that only an independent judicial panel can guarantee a credible and impartial probe.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said while the President’s decision to order an investigation validates the ADC’s earlier demand for a probe, entrusting the exercise to an agency under the Executive raises serious questions about its independence.
“The President has now accepted the central argument advanced by the ADC—that this scandal requires investigation and cannot simply be explained away as the Presidency initially attempted to do,” the statement said.
“However, assigning the investigation to the ICPC, an agency under the Executive, creates the impression that the President intends to keep the investigation in-house and ultimately be a judge in his own case. A Presidency that is at the centre of a scandal of this magnitude lacks the credibility to investigate itself.”
The opposition party urged President Tinubu to constitute an independent judicial panel comprising respected Nigerians to restore public confidence and ensure that the truth is established without interference.
ADC also faulted the Presidency for prematurely describing the appointment letters and official documents presented by Mr. Adeyemi Adeniyi as “forged” before any investigation had commenced.
According to the party, one of the key objectives of the investigation should be to determine whether the documents were genuinely issued, fraudulently obtained, improperly authorised, or forged.
“By declaring the documents forged before investigations begin, the government has effectively prejudged the outcome and compromised the integrity of the entire process,” the statement noted.
The party further demanded that all relevant government offices, including the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, be subjected to the same level of scrutiny.
It argued that the Chief of Staff should proceed on leave pending the conclusion of investigations to eliminate any perception that he could influence the process or benefit from his position.
ADC also called on the Presidency to guarantee that the findings of the investigation would be released publicly.
“A report submitted only to the President is not enough. Nigerians deserve to see the full, unredacted report, and its recommendations must be implemented without fear or favour,” the party stated.
The opposition warned that merely punishing “scapegoats” while shielding powerful officials would neither satisfy public demand for justice nor restore Nigeria’s credibility before the international community.
The party also condemned the reported arrest of Mr. Adeyemi Adeniyi’s father, describing it as an act of intimidation and a violation of the principle that criminal liability is personal.
“It is an established principle of Nigerian law that there is no vicarious criminal liability. Arresting a suspect’s father while senior public officials who have questions to answer remain untouched only reinforces the impression that the government is more interested in silencing people than uncovering the truth,” ADC said.
The party maintained that the PFIPC controversy has become a national security issue that exposes either serious institutional failure or official complicity and warned that it must not be swept under the carpet.
“The ADC will continue to monitor developments closely. This matter must be investigated transparently and independently because the credibility of our institutions and the integrity of the Nigerian Presidency are now at stake,” the statement concluded.
