The political landscape has been intensified by an escalating dispute between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Presidency regarding the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). The friction centers on whether the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) or an independent bipartisan panel should spearhead the investigation into the alleged agency, which received a N1.3 billion budgetary allocation despite claims from the Presidency that it does not exist.

Key Developments in the Controversy

1. The Arrest of the Alleged Director-General

• The Suspect: Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, was arrested by the police following a bench warrant issued by a Federal High Court in Abuja due to his failure to appear for his arraignment on an eight-count charge.

• The Charges: Adeyemi faces multiple charges, including conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, and obtaining money under false pretenses.

• Bribery Allegations: The situation is further complicated by Adeyemi's public claim that he paid N400 million in bribes to secure his position. He has specifically accused the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of demanding that sum alongside a 48 percent share of the council's proposed N27.4 billion take-off grant.

2. Atiku Abubakar’s Demands and Budgetary Discrepancies

Atiku Abubakar, representing the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has publicly challenged the federal government's handling of the situation through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu.

• Demands for Independent Probe: Atiku argued that the presidency-ordered ICPC investigation is insufficient and self-serving. He called on the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association, and civil society groups to push for an independent, bipartisan legislative panel.

• Systemic Access Questions: The former Vice President questioned how a non-existent entity managed to secure physical office space in the Federal Secretariat, hire hundreds of workers, gain diplomatic recognition, and access high levels of government.

• The World Cup Budget Anomaly: Adding to his criticisms of the 2026 Appropriation Act, Atiku flagged an allocation of N6.44 billion earmarked for a special support group for Nigeria's World Cup qualifiers. He pointed out the absurdity of this funding given that the national team had already been eliminated from the tournament before the budget was drafted.

Official Government Responses

The Presidency's Defense

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed Atiku's demands for an alternative panel. He asserted that the ICPC is the legally mandated institution to handle corrupt practices and questioned the former Vice President’s trust in state institutions. Ajayi argued that rejecting the ICPC’s role raises doubts about Atiku's own respect for established administrative frameworks.

The Senate's Position

For the second time in one week, the Senate blocked attempts to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the PFIPC's budget allocation.

• The Legislative Motion: Senator Suleiman Kawu of Kano South attempted to introduce a motion to investigate how the N1.3 billion was inserted and defended in the budget.

• The Ruling: Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled the motion out of order, stating that the matter is currently sub judice because the suspect has been charged in court. He added that a parallel legislative probe would interfere with both the judicial process and the active 30-day ICPC investigation ordered by President Bola Tinubu.

Details of the Police Operation

Security sources revealed that Adeyemi had successfully evaded arrest for weeks, moving from Ibadan to Osun State.

• The Trail: Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had previously tracked him in Ibadan but did not apprehend him before withdrawing.

• The Arrest: The police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), which was deployed to Osun State following recent local security issues, monitored Adeyemi for five days near Ilesa.

• The Transfer: After coordinating with the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, the IRT quietly apprehended Adeyemi and transferred him to Abuja via Ibadan to prevent public disruption.