PFIPC Probe: ADC Dismisses ICPC Report As ‘Predictable Damage Control

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the interim report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the findings as predictable and an attempt at damage control.

The opposition party said the report failed to adequately explain how the purported agency allegedly secured office space at the Federal Secretariat, obtained civil servants and official recognition, and was allocated about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 federal budget.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the findings had strengthened its earlier call for an independent investigation into the controversy.

The party recalled that it had previously opposed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to assign the investigation to the ICPC, arguing that an independent panel would be better suited to investigate the matter.

According to the ADC, the interim report appeared more focused on shielding government officials than answering questions about how the purported council gained access to official institutions and processes.

“The report is not only predictable, it appears more concerned with exonerating government officials rather than providing clear answers to the serious questions that the scandal has raised,” the party said.

The ADC rejected the suggestion that the controversy could simply be attributed to administrative lapses, arguing that the scale of the alleged operation raised questions about possible complicity or negligence within government institutions.

ADC Questions Adeyemi’s Prosecution

The opposition party also questioned the reported recommendation that Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the purported council, be prosecuted.

The ADC noted that the ICPC had described its investigation as ongoing but appeared to have already identified Adeyemi as the principal culprit.

“If all that the commission had to present was a preliminary report, why not simply present it as a confidential brief to the President instead of making a public drama of it?” the party asked.

The ADC said Nigerians deserved a clear explanation of how an allegedly fictitious agency was able to obtain multiple layers of government recognition.

It questioned how the PFIPC allegedly secured office accommodation, official vehicles and other institutional support if it had no legitimate legal or executive foundation.

According to the party, while a forged appointment letter or false representation might explain how the process began, it could not by itself explain how the alleged organisation progressed through several government institutions.

“A forgery may explain the first door that was opened. It cannot explain why every subsequent door appears to have opened as well,” the statement read.

₦1.3bn Budget Allocation Raises Questions

The ADC also drew attention to reports that the ICPC had uncovered two additional fictitious organisations allegedly linked to Adeyemi.

The party said the development should prompt investigators to expand the scope of the probe rather than limit responsibility to a single individual.

It described the reported ₦1.3 billion allocation to the purported agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act as one of the most troubling aspects of the controversy.

According to the opposition party, budgetary allocations typically generate documentary records through proposal, review, approval and verification processes.

It therefore demanded answers on who proposed the allocation, who processed it and who verified the purported beneficiary agency.

“Budgetary provisions do not materialise by accident,” the party said.

The ADC noted that the House of Representatives had already commenced its own investigation into how the purported council found its way into the federal budget.

Party Demands Full ICPC Report

The opposition party called on the ICPC to publish the complete interim report and identify any public officials whose actions or alleged negligence enabled the purported agency to operate.

It also demanded that anyone found culpable be held accountable following due process and a thorough investigation.

“What has happened is a national disgrace in the full glare of the entire world. No serious government should be satisfied with identifying one culprit for prosecution,” the ADC said.

The party maintained that its demand was not for investigators to manufacture suspects, but for authorities to follow the evidence wherever it leads.