• Atiku: Scandals have become a pattern under Tinubu
• PDP says Presidency cannot evade accountability over Gbajabiamila allegations
• SERAP demands explanation for ₦1.3bn budget allocation to ‘non-existent’ council
BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS
Fresh documents have emerged indicating that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) officially approved Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi—who has since been disowned by the Presidency as Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)—to participate in the Canada-Africa Fintech Summit (CAFS) in August 2025.
The revelation comes amid mounting controversy over the alleged existence of the PFIPC, with the Presidency insisting that the council was never created and accusing Adeyemi of fabricating official documents and falsely presenting himself as its Director-General.
The Presidency has also directed the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the matter and identify any government officials who may have assisted Adeyemi in carrying out the alleged scheme.
However, documents obtained by Frontline Reporters show that the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office in the OSGF, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, acting on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, formally authorised Adeyemi’s participation in the Canada-Africa Fintech Summit held from August 3 to 8, 2025.
The approval letter described the summit as an important platform for advancing Nigeria’s economic objectives through digital finance and technology. It stated that the event would help strengthen bilateral trade relations, attract foreign direct investment and support the Federal Government’s economic agenda.
The letter further directed Adeyemi to register for the programme and mobilise other stakeholders to participate, noting that his “experience, technical support and presence” would strengthen the Nigerian delegation. It also advised him to liaise with the Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office and the summit’s organising committee for further details.
The latest document has intensified the controversy surrounding allegations involving the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Adeyemi, raising fresh questions over how a man now described by the Presidency as an impostor was able to receive official government recognition and carry out activities under the banner of the Presidency.
Atiku: Scandals Have Become a Pattern
Reacting to the latest revelations, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over a government in which scandals have become routine rather than exceptional.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the recurring controversies reflected a deeper governance problem and challenged President Bola Tinubu to fully disclose issues relating to his age, educational qualifications and family background, matters he noted had remained subjects of litigation over the years.
“Nigeria has sadly arrived at that point where the issue is no longer one scandal or another. The issue is the pattern. And when scandals become a pattern of governance, the inevitable conclusion is this: you are no longer managing scandals; you have become the scandal itself,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President cited what he described as unresolved controversies, including the humanitarian affairs scandal, allegations of crude oil theft, discrepancies in the 2024 budget, refinery rehabilitation spending, procurement controversies and opaque contract awards, arguing that successive unresolved cases had eroded public confidence in government.
PDP Demands Independent Probe
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also called on President Tinubu to order an independent forensic investigation into the PFIPC controversy, insisting that the Presidency could not distance itself from allegations involving the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
In a statement signed by the spokesman of its Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, the party said the Presidency was confronted with two equally troubling possibilities.
According to the PDP, if the Presidency’s claim that Adeyemi was an impostor is accurate, it would expose a serious collapse of internal administrative safeguards. Conversely, if Adeyemi’s allegations are true, it would point to corruption at the highest levels of government.
“The Presidency cannot escape accountability by choosing between corruption and incompetence. Either way, Nigerians deserve answers,” the party said.
The opposition party noted that while the Presidency had described Adeyemi as an impostor, it had yet to explain how he allegedly secured office accommodation within the Presidency, obtained official staff, operated government-related bank accounts and interacted with agencies such as the EFCC and other security institutions.
The PDP said these unanswered questions demanded more than official statements and urged President Tinubu to suspend all officials connected to the matter pending the outcome of an independent investigation. It also called for a comprehensive review of administrative procedures within the Presidency and an apology to Nigerians.
SERAP Seeks Details of ₦1.3bn Budget Allocation
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the approval of over ₦1.3 billion allocated to the PFIPC—also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council—in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
In a Freedom of Information request signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged the leadership of the National Assembly to invoke its investigative powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution to determine how funds were appropriated for what the Presidency has publicly described as a non-existent body.
The organisation also requested records identifying members of the National Assembly committees that considered the allocation, as well as the officials who defended the proposed budget before lawmakers.
SERAP further sought clarification on whether the allocation originated from the Executive’s budget proposal or was inserted during the legislative appropriation process. It also requested information on whether any lawmaker questioned the legal status or operational mandate of the PFIPC before approving the allocation.
The anti-corruption organisation said the conflicting positions between the Presidency and the appropriation documents had raised serious concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s budgeting process, legislative oversight and public financial management.
According to SERAP, Nigerians have a constitutional right to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was never legally established and how such an allocation passed through the National Assembly without detection.
The organisation gave the leadership of the National Assembly seven days to provide the requested information, warning that it would initiate legal proceedings if the documents were not released.
SERAP maintained that full disclosure would strengthen transparency, reinforce public confidence in the appropriations process and enable citizens to assess whether the National Assembly fulfilled its constitutional oversight responsibilities
ADVERTISEMENTS
2026-07-06