Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has accused the presidency of attempting to whitewash its name in connection with the alleged bogus Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) issue.
According to Atiku, the Presidency cannot rely on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) interim report to prove its innocence.
He contended that the report raises questions about how the alleged fraud was permitted to occur within government offices.
He announced his decision in a statement provided by Phrank Shaibu, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication.
According to Atiku, the ICPC study highlighted incidents of carelessness and alleged collusion by public personnel in government operations that enabled the phoney agency to operate.
According to him, the charges extended beyond the actions of a single individual, with the suspect accused of forging a presidential appointment letter, forming a phoney federal agency, using government offices, and opening bank accounts with falsified legislative documents.
“Who are the public officers who could have been negligent? Who allowed access to government offices? Who recognised the alleged Director General? “Who gave him the authority to operate within the government machinery?” Atiku enquired.
He stated that the reported recommendation for sanctions against public personnel whose incompetence aided the alleged activities demonstrated that the situation could not be dismissed as the work of a single impostor.
Atiku also urged that the names of those purportedly participating in the process be made public.
“Nigerians deserve to know who did what, who authorised what, and who opened the doors that made this possible,” he declared.
The former vice president also urged for the full publishing of the ICPC findings, stating that an interim report could not be interpreted as a final declaration of innocence when investigations into potential collaborators and associated bank accounts were still ongoing.
Atiku also urged the National Assembly to hold an open probe into the incident and broadcast the proceedings live.
He stated that the demand had become more urgent when the major actor in the dispute, named as Mr Adeyemi, apparently promised to appear before MPs and speak publicly.
“If the Villa is actually clean, it should be the first to allow live television broadcast. “Let Nigerians watch unedited as witnesses testify and evidence is presented under oath,” Atiku urged.
He warned that anything less than a transparent probe would raise public suspicion that influential individuals were being protected.
“Transparency does not end where the trail enters the corridors of power. Atiku stated that the Presidency cannot conduct its own investigation into innocence.
He encouraged the government to make the probe public, sworn witnesses, and allow Nigerians to hear the facts for themselves.