PFIPC scandal: Tinubu administration opened doors of Nigerian state to Adeyemi

African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said the President Bola Tinubu administration opened the doors of the Nigerian state to Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC.

The ex-Vice President also described Adeyemi’s arrest as a tactics to shift blame toward the political opposition rather than expose the full extent of official involvement.

Atiku spoke in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

He pointed out that the core issue goes beyond one individual’s alleged impersonation.

Atiku expressed shock at how the entity got diplomatic recognition, recruited over 300 personnel and obtained office space at the Federal Secretariat.

“The scandal is not merely that one man allegedly impersonated public authority. The greater scandal is that the Tinubu administration allegedly opened the doors of the Nigerian state to Adeyemi.

“This allowed him to acquire the appearance and privileges of official legitimacy and permitted him to interact with institutions and diplomatic interests in the name of the Federal Government,” Atiku said.

The former Vice President also highlighted what he called broader fiscal irregularities in the 2026 budget.

Questioning the allocation of N6.44 billion for a ‘Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers’, Atiku said Nigeria had already been eliminated from the competition by November 2025.