Atiku Abubakar rejects ICPC probe into alleged PFIPC scandal, calls for independent inquiry

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC to investigate the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council PFIPC. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, insists that only an independent commission of inquiry can restore public confidence in the matter. He argued that the President's directive, issued days after his own ultimatum for a probe, suggests that previous investigations by the Nigeria Police were inadequate. Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, stated that the presidency's latest action contradicts its earlier position that the matter had been comprehensively investigated by the police. Atiku questioned the necessity of a new 30-day investigation by the ICPC if the police probe was indeed thorough, highlighting the government's conflicting statements. He also contended that the President's instruction to investigate "wider circumstances" undermines the initial claim that the incident involved only one individual impersonating government officials. Atiku maintained that an investigation by a federal government agency cannot satisfy public expectations of impartiality, as the government itself is central to the controversy. He called for the immediate establishment of a Special Independent Commission of Inquiry, comprising representatives from various political parties