African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s decision to hand the investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), insisting that only an independent judicial panel can conduct a credible and impartial inquiry.
In a statement on Wednesday, the opposition party argued that the Presidency, being at the centre of the controversy, lacks the moral authority to supervise an investigation into the matter.
According to the ADC, while it welcomes President Tinubu’s decision to order a probe, the choice of the ICPC raises concerns about the credibility and independence of the process.
“We insist, however, that only an independent judicial panel will be able to provide answers beyond all reasonable doubt to the many questions that this historic scandal has thrown up,” the party said.
The ADC noted that it had earlier called for an independent investigation, warning against limiting responsibility to one individual. It claimed the President had now accepted its position that the allegations required a full investigation rather than being dismissed.
However, the party maintained that assigning the task to the ICPC, an agency under the Executive, creates the impression that the government intends to investigate itself.
“By handing the investigation to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), an agency of government under the Executive, it conveys the impression that the President intends to keep the investigation in-house and possibly be a judge in his own case.”
The party further argued that an administration facing serious allegations should not be responsible for investigating itself.
“This is why the President should seize this moment as an opportunity to restore some credibility to his government by allowing an independent inquiry made up of trusted citizens. A government that is drowning in scandals cannot be trusted to investigate itself.”
The ADC also expressed concern over what it described as prejudicial comments in the Presidency’s statement, saying officials appeared to have already concluded that appointment letters and other documents linked to the case were forged before investigations had begun.
“The investigation must be allowed to independently determine whether the documents were forged, improperly issued, fraudulently obtained, or lawfully issued under the authority of the Presidency. The credibility of the entire exercise depends on allowing investigators to follow the evidence wherever it leads, rather than predetermining the outcome through official pronouncements.”
The party further demanded that every office connected to the Presidency, including the Office of the Chief of Staff, should be subjected to the same level of scrutiny if the investigation is to be taken seriously.
It also called on the President to direct his Chief of Staff to step aside while the investigation is ongoing.
“If this is so, the minimum expectation is for the President to direct his Chief of Staff to proceed on leave until the investigations are concluded. As long as he remains an active official of government, it creates the impression that the President is deliberately shielding a key party in this matter.”
The ADC equally urged the Federal Government to make the outcome of the investigation public.
“The Presidency should immediately clarify whether the findings of the ICPC investigation will be made public. A report submitted only to the President is not enough. Nigerians have a right to know the truth.”
The party maintained that only a transparent, independent and publicly accountable investigation would restore confidence in the handling of the PFIPC controversy.