Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress’ (ADC) presidential candidate, has accused the Presidency of attempting to whitewash its name in the alleged bogus Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) issue.
Atiku said the Presidency could not rely on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) interim report to prove its innocence.
He contended that the study raises concerns about how the alleged fraud was permitted to occur within government offices.
He announced the decision in a statement written by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
Atiku claimed that the ICPC study highlighted incidents of carelessness and alleged collusion by public officials in government operations that enabled the bogus 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, establishing a phoney federal agency, using government offices, and opening bank accounts with counterfeit legislative documents.
“Who are the public officers who may have been negligent? Who gave access to government offices? Who recognised this alleged Director General? “Who allowed him to operate within the government machinery?” Atiku enquired.
He said the reported recommendation for sanctions against public personnel whose incompetence aided the alleged actions demonstrated that the case could not be dismissed as the work of a single impostor.
Atiku also urged that the identities 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 said.
The former vice president also advocated for the full release of the ICPC findings, stating that an interim report should 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 launch an open probe into the scandal and broadcast the proceedings live.
He stated that the call became more significant after the major actor in the scandal, named as Mr. Adeyemi, apparently offered to appear before lawmakers and testify publicly.
“If the Villa is actually clean, it should be the first to accept live TV coverage. Let Nigerians watch, uncensored, as witnesses testify and evidence is provided under oath,” Atiku stated.
He cautioned that anything short of a transparent probe would raise public suspicion that powerful individuals were being protected.
“Transparency cannot end when the trail enters the corridors of power. “The presidency cannot investigate its own innocence,” Atiku stated.
He encouraged the government to open the inquiry to public scrutiny, place witnesses under oath, and enable Nigerians to hear the facts for themselves.