The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the immediate suspension of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the establishment of an independent investigative panel over allegations surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
In a statement issued on Thursday, the opposition party said the allegations involving Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to have served as Director-General of the alleged agency, raise serious concerns about transparency, accountability and governance within the Tinubu administration.
The Presidency has previously denied the existence of the PFIPC, describing it as a non-existent agency and distancing itself from Adeyemi’s claims.
Despite the denial, the NDC questioned how the alleged agency was reportedly able to secure budgetary allocations, open financial accounts and obtain administrative approvals if it was not recognised by the Federal Government.
The party also called for clarification over claims that the purported agency operated accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and allegedly received approvals for hundreds of staff positions, arguing that such actions would ordinarily require official authorisation.
The NDC further referenced allegations made by Adeyemi against Gbajabiamila, including claims relating to the alleged procurement of his appointment and the management of funds. The party urged security and anti-corruption agencies to investigate the allegations thoroughly.
In addition, the opposition party called for an investigation into the death of Babatunde Tanimola, described as an intermediary in the matter, as well as reported attacks on Adeyemi, saying all aspects of the controversy should be independently examined.
Among its demands, the NDC urged President Bola Tinubu to temporarily remove the Chief of Staff from office to allow for what it described as an impartial investigation.
The party also called for the constitution of an independent panel to examine the alleged operations of the PFIPC, its reported budgetary allocations, financial transactions and administrative approvals, while urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Police Force to launch comprehensive investigations.
The NDC further requested that officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation be invited for questioning as part of the proposed investigation.
The party maintained that Nigerians deserve a transparent inquiry into the matter and insisted that anyone found culpable after due process should be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
