The Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order a forensic investigation into the controversy surrounding his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Prince Adeniyi Matthew, over the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), by a reputable firm of international standing.
PDP INWC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong on Sunday, also called for a comprehensive reorganisation of the presidency, and an unreserved apology to Nigerians for “this deeply embarrassing situation.”
The party noted that the presidency, had, through presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, did not directly deny the allegation, but rather described Prince Matthew as an impostor and a fraudster who forged his way into the highest levels of government.
It wondered how an impostor could secure an office space in a government facility, have staff posted to him, received budgetary allocations, operated Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) registered accounts, and conducted official business with institutions including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and various security agencies, without any authority.
PDP stated that Onanuga’s response has confirmed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government is running “the country with alarming recklessness, where nepotism and cronyism have displaced merit, and impunity has become standard practice, administered in a manner akin to a criminal enterprise.”
The party accused the APC-led Federal Government of serial embarrassments, recalling how the Tinubu administration appointed deceased persons into government offices, included undeserving individuals on the presidential pardon list, and allegedly withdrew the N800 billion from Progressive Governors Forum account.
“This administration has demonstrated a troubling pattern of institutional failure,” it added.
PDP contended that if the presidency’s account is correct, that Prince Matthew is an impostor, then it means the Federal Government is so porous and vulnerable, adding that it is “an admission that the country has been brazenly defrauded because institutional gatekeepers entrusted with protecting the collective patrimony are either grossly incompetent or thoroughly distracted from the responsibilities of governance.”
The party added that if, on the other hand, Prince Matthew’s account is correct, that the Chief of Staff solicited and actually received bribes to facilitate his appointment, then “it is yet another act of shameless corruption added to a long and growing queue of unchallenged corrupt officials in this administration.
“Anyway this pendulum swings, the Nigerian people lose.”
According to the PDP, any responsible government confronted with this scale of institutional breakdown would immediately commission an independent forensic investigation, suspend the key officials implicated, as well as implement systemic reforms to prevent a recurrence.
The party therefore called for the suspension of all key officials connected to the matter.
It maintained that the APC-led administration has abandoned the business of governance, and said the presidency owes Nigerians more than explanations into the PFIPC scandal.
“Until this administration demonstrates the courage to hold itself accountable, every new scandal will further deepen the trust deficit and strengthen Nigerians’ resolve to demand a government that is competent, transparent, and worthy of their confidence in 2027,” PDP stated.
