PFIPC scandal: Turaki PDP faction seeks independent investigation

The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has called for an independent and comprehensive investigation into recent allegations and counter-allegations involving senior officials in the Presidency, warning that the controversy underscores deeper concerns about transparency, accountability, and governance within the current administration.

The Turaki-led Interim NWC, in a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, warned on Sunday that failing to investigate the alleged corruption could further erode public trust in government institutions, stressing that the matter demands more than internal reviews or official rebuttals.

The PDP faction urged President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate leadership by immediately instituting a credible, independent inquiry that will establish the truth, hold any culpable persons accountable, and restore confidence in the integrity of the Presidency.

The statement partly read, “The recent grave accusations levelled against the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, by Prince Adeniyi Matthew, of the now notorious Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the admissions contained in the response issued by Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, have confirmed what many Nigerians had long suspected-that the 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.

“Prince Matthew alleged that the Chief of Staff solicited and received financial inducements from him in exchange for facilitating his appointment into the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and also made further demands in the course of running the office. In response, the Presidency, through Bayo Onanuga, did not directly deny the allegation; instead, it parried them, rather describing Prince Matthew as an impostor and a fraudster who forged his way into the highest levels of government, securing an office space in a government facility, having staff posted to him, receiving budgetary allocations, operating CBN-registered accounts, and conducting official business with institutions including the EFCC and various security agencies, all without any authority.

“How else can one explain the serial embarrassments emanating from the Presidential Villa under this administration? From the appointment of deceased persons into government offices, to the inclusion of undeserving individuals on the presidential pardon list, the N800 billion Progressive Governors Forum scandal, and numerous other avoidable blunders. This administration has demonstrated a troubling pattern of institutional failure.

“The two possible outcomes of this scandal are very damning. If the Presidency’s account is correct, that Prince Matthew is an impostor, then it means the Federal Government is so porous and vulnerable- an admission that the country has been brazenly defrauded because institutional gatekeepers entrusted with protecting our collective patrimony are either grossly incompetent or thoroughly distracted from the responsibilities of governance.”

The Turaki-led INWC said if Prince Matthew’s claims are true, it would amount to another case of brazen corruption within the administration. It added that either way, Nigerians are the ultimate losers.

It continued, “Assuming that Nigerians were to accept the Presidency’s explanation at face value, the implications would be staggering. How could an impostor operate freely and undetected at the highest level of government? How was he allocated office space at the Federal Secretariat complex, provided with staff, given budgetary provisions, granted CBN accounts, and allowed to interface with top-tier institutions? This is, by any measure, a monumental failure of the state.

“Any responsible government confronted with this scale of institutional breakdown would immediately commission an independent forensic investigation, suspend the key officials implicated, implement systemic reforms to prevent a recurrence, issue an unreserved public apology, and consider the resignation of those found culpable. Instead, the APC-led Federal Government appears to be pursuing a covert internal review, dismissing legitimate public concerns by talking down on the citizens, and hoping that the passage of time will erase the anomaly from public memory.

“We therefore call on the president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to immediately order a forensic investigation of this scandal by a reputable firm of international standing, announce the suspension of all key officials connected to the matter, order a comprehensive reorganisation of the Presidency, and issue an unreserved apology to Nigerians for this deeply embarrassing situation.

“As we have consistently maintained, this administration is consumed by political calculations and has abandoned the business of governance. This neglect has produced this and many other acts of mismanagement. The Presidency owes Nigerians more than explanations; it owes us accountability. 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.”

PidomNigeria Online reports that Adeyemi alleged that Gbajabiamila collected ₦400 million through an intermediary and requested an extra ₦200 million to facilitate his appointment.

However, the Presidency has dismissed the claims, stating that Gbajabiamila has no authority to make appointments.