The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has said the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has damaged the image of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
NEWSNGR reports that Abdullahi argued that the allegations involving the council and its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, had created the impression that the Presidency was associated with corruption and influence-peddling.
He spoke during an interview with Symfoni TV, where he described the development as an embarrassment to Nigerians and the country’s international reputation.
According to him, the controversy has reinforced public suspicion about alleged payments for government contracts, appointments and access to senior officials.
Abdullahi said, “Not just Tinubu, but all of us as Nigerians should feel collectively embarrassed because the impression that has been created before the world today is that the Nigerian Presidency is a den of corruption.
“There have been whispers of people taking money to award contracts, taking money in the Presidency to arrange appointments with the President, and people taking money to secure appointments for others in agencies and parastatals.
“We never believed it because we said that it could never be that bad.”
The former minister said his previous experience in government had initially made it difficult for him to believe allegations of widespread racketeering within the Presidency.
He, however, claimed the PFIPC controversy had led many Nigerians to suspect that similar activities might have been occurring without public knowledge.
He further stated, “I have been a minister, and I compared it with my time and said it was not possible. But with this Adeyemi allegation, people are thinking that this is just the one that is out.
“This thing has been going on for a long time, and it is just business as usual under Tinubu. This is just the one that got out.”
Abdullahi maintained that the President must ensure that the allegations were thoroughly investigated to demonstrate that his administration was not complicit in any wrongdoing.
Abdullahi Demands Independent Investigation
The ADC spokesman said Tinubu owed himself and the country a duty to establish the truth through a transparent and credible investigation.
“And that is why I said that Tinubu has a duty to himself to ensure that this matter is investigated and proven beyond all doubt that his Presidency is not complicit in this level of corruption that has shaken the firmament of our nation,” he stated.
Abdullahi also criticised the President’s expression of confidence in his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, amid the controversy.
According to him, such comments could be interpreted by members of the public as an attempt to shield the Chief of Staff from scrutiny.
“He started by exonerating his Chief of Staff, saying, ‘I have confidence in him,’ but what people are hearing is, ‘I am protecting my Chief of Staff.’ It is not good for him,” he added.
Abdullahi urged Gbajabiamila to proceed on leave to allow an independent panel to conduct its investigation without interference or the appearance of influence.
He argued that voluntarily stepping aside would give the Chief of Staff an opportunity to clear his name.
Abdullahi asked, “People believe that the Chief of Staff has colluded in corruption of this magnitude, but he said, ‘No, I have no hand in it.’ Then why are you afraid of an independent panel to investigate?
“If I were Gbajabiamila, I would go to the President and say, ‘I offer to go on leave because it is my name that is being dragged in the mud, and no amount of money on earth is worth my name.’
“I offer to proceed on leave so that this investigation can be carried out and I can be exonerated beyond all doubt. But you are sitting in the office while all this stench of corruption is spreading around you?”
Abdullahi insisted that only an open investigation could restore public confidence and address questions arising from the PFIPC controversy.
