PFIPC Scandal: Tinubu Either Absentee President or Accomplice – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of either being an absentee leader or complicit in the controversies surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the administration’s handling of the scandal reflects political gymnastics aimed at shielding Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila from bribery allegations linked to the council.

The PFIPC has been at the centre of heated debates, with its director-general, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, accusing Gbajabiamila of collecting bribes. The Presidency has dismissed the claims, while Gbajabiamila has threatened a N10bn defamation suit against Adeyemi. Adeyemi’s father was also arrested by police, a move critics have described as unlawful.

Atiku further alleged that fresh revelations from the 2026 Appropriation Act expose a disturbing pattern of budgetary manipulation. He pointed to page 2236 of the Act, where billions of naira were allocated for road construction under the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, an agency whose mandate is focused on addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.

“The unavoidable conclusion is that the administration’s henchmen have once again resorted to the now familiar tactic of hiding questionable projects in backwater agencies where public scrutiny is minimal and where funds can be more easily diverted,” Atiku said.

He described the practice as “the height of irresponsibility, impunity, and evil,” adding that such budget padding and diversions have become a defining feature of governance under the APC administration.

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