The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the presidency to explain how Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi allegedly secured a budgetary allocation of N1.3bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act and operated from an office in the Federal Secretariat despite claims that the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) does not exist.
Speaking through his media office on Thursday, Atiku described the controversy surrounding the alleged ghost agency as another scandal that should not be treated as a “family affair”.
The former vice president said Nigerians deserve answers over a “ghost Federal Government Agency” linked to President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Atiku’s reaction came after the president urged Nigerians to await the outcome of the court case involving Adeyemi before drawing conclusions.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, had described Adeyemi and the PFIPC as fraudulent, as investigations showed the council was fictitious and that the suspect forged documents to present himself as the agency’s Director-General.
However, Atiku questioned how an alleged non-existent agency could have operated for months without detection.
“How did an unknown state actor manage to create and reside a federal government agency in the Federal Secretariat, which is under the supervision of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, without being detected?” he asked.
The ADC presidential candidate further asked, “How did he secure a budgetary code and allocation of N1.3 billion in the 2026 national budget?”
According to the statement, Adeyemi met with senior government officials, lawmakers, diplomats, traditional rulers and prospective investors while presenting himself as head of the council.
“We must never forget in a hurry that this same man met with key officials of the state and heads of government agencies, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu and Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede. He also met with traditional rulers, diplomats and prospective investors. Prince Adeyemi operated in the full glare of the public and not as a ghost,” he said.
The Atiku Media Office argued that the presidency’s position that PFIPC was a ghost agency was inconsistent with evidence of official communication between the National Assembly and the council.
It further called for a forensic public investigation into the matter, saying Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other officials allegedly linked to the controversy should account for their roles.
It added that the presidency had not addressed an allegation that Adeyemi claimed to have paid a N400m bribe to Gbajabiamila, while urging investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, who was said to be an intermediary in the alleged appointment and bribery scandal.
According to Atiku, Adeyemi’s trial should be conducted swiftly and key officials in the executive and legislature should also be invited to explain their roles, adding that the matter should be resolved before the 2027 general elections.
THE WHISTLER reported that the presidency, on Wednesday, advised Nigerians not to rely on Adeyemi’s claims while criminal proceedings remain before the court.
Gbajabiamila was said to have petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 after complaints emerged that individuals were using forged appointment letters from his office to claim leadership positions in the PFIPC.
Onanunga said investigations established that the council did not exist and that Adeyemi allegedly forged documents, impersonated a government appointee and used the false identity in official engagements.
He said investigators discovered 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to Adeyemi, including nine connected to fictitious agencies, and that he had attempted to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account using forged documents, although no government funds were paid into it.
(The Whistler)
