The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has opposed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to assign the investigation of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) matter to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The party in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi insisted that a separate judicial inquiry would be more credible.
The party’s reaction came after Tinubu directed the ICPC to carry out a 30-day investigation into allegations surrounding the existence of the disputed council.
The Port City News (TCPN) reported that the probe is expected to examine claims that the body, headed by Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, allegedly produced unauthorised presidential appointment documents, established accounts linked to government activities, and received a ₦1.3 billion provision in the 2026 budget, despite the Presidency’s position that the council was not officially created.
The ADC argued that allowing an executive agency such as the ICPC to handle the investigation could undermine public confidence, as the matter involves allegations connected to government institutions.
The party maintained that an administration facing questions over the issue should not be solely responsible for overseeing the process.
The opposition party highlighted several issues it believes must be addressed during the investigation.
The ADC criticised what it described as an assumption by the Presidency that documents linked to the council were fraudulent before the completion of an independent inquiry.
It argued that investigators should be allowed to establish whether the documents were forged, wrongly issued, or legitimately produced without any predetermined conclusion.
The party also demanded clarity on whether senior government officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, would be subjected to investigation if evidence linked them to the controversy.
To guarantee impartiality, the ADC called for Gbajabiamila to temporarily step aside while the investigation lasted, arguing that such a move would prevent concerns about possible interference.
The party further urged the Presidency to commit to releasing the outcome of the investigation publicly, stating that submitting the report only to the President would not satisfy demands for transparency and accountability.
The ADC also criticised the arrest of Adeyemi’s father by security operatives, describing the action as unnecessary and inappropriate.
According to ADC, that the President’s decision to order a probe confirmed its earlier position that the matter required urgent attention.
It maintained that only an independent panel made up of credible Nigerians could restore confidence and fully uncover how the alleged PFIPC controversy occurred.
