Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that the Presidency’s response to the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, has exposed what he described as deep institutional failures within the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Mr Atiku argued that rather than dispelling concerns over the alleged fictitious agency, the Presidency’s explanation had raised more questions about the integrity of government institutions, the national budget process and accountability mechanisms.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said the government’s attempt to defend itself amounted to “a public confession of institutional collapse.”
According to him, it was difficult to accept the claim that a single individual could allegedly forge presidential documents, impersonate senior government officials, establish an office within the Federal Secretariat, operate multiple bank accounts, host foreign diplomats and gain recognition across government circles without assistance from insiders.
He said the development suggested systemic weaknesses rather than the actions of a lone individual.
“The Presidency intended its response as damage control, but it has instead exposed how deeply governance structures have been compromised,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also questioned what he described as contradictions in the government’s position on the PFIPC.
While noting that the Presidency had insisted the council never existed and was merely an elaborate scam, Atiku claimed that public records reportedly showed that about ₦1.3 billion was appropriated for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act alongside the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
He asked who prepared the budget estimates, which ministry submitted them, who defended the estimates before the National Assembly, which lawmakers approved the allocation and who eventually signed the budget into law if the agency was indeed fictitious.
According to him, those questions require clear answers from the Federal Government.
Atiku further criticised the National Assembly, saying lawmakers failed in their oversight responsibility if funds were approved for an agency that did not legally exist.
