Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s directive assigning the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that only an independent commission of inquiry can restore public confidence.
The PFIPC has been at the centre of public controversy following reports of a ₦1.3 billion allocation to the council in the 2026 budget and conflicting claims regarding its existence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the President’s directive to the ICPC appeared to be a response to the seven-day ultimatum he had earlier issued, demanding a transparent investigation into the matter.
According to the former vice-president, the latest directive contradicts the Presidency’s earlier position that the controversy had already been fully investigated by the police, with a suspect arrested and criminal charges filed.
“If all of that is true, what exactly is the ICPC expected to spend another 30 days investigating?” Atiku queried.
He argued that if the police investigation had indeed been thorough, there would be no justification for assigning another government agency to investigate the same issue.
Atiku maintained that what Nigerians were demanding was not another internal government investigation but an independent inquiry capable of inspiring public confidence.
To achieve this, he proposed the immediate establishment of a special independent commission of inquiry comprising 10 eminent Nigerians nominated by the Federal Government, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association and retired judicial officers.
