An All Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People's Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to order a thorough investigation into the controversy surrounding the alleged Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (FIPC), insisting that every public official linked to the matter, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, should be investigated.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Eze described the alleged FIPC controversy as one of the most troubling governance scandals in recent years, saying it had raised serious concerns about transparency, accountability and the credibility of public institutions under the Tinubu administration.
He questioned the Presidency's reported denial of the existence of the council, arguing that such a position only deepened public suspicion over how the alleged agency reportedly operated within government circles.
According to Eze, if the council was never a legally recognised government agency, Nigerians deserved to know how it allegedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat and reportedly conducted its activities without interference from relevant authorities.
He also queried reports that the alleged promoter of the council, Prince Adeniyi, gained access to senior government officials, including ministers, ambassadors and other top public office holders, while allegedly representing Nigeria at diplomatic engagements.
Eze further expressed concern over reports that the promoter was received by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and honoured with an award, insisting that such developments, if true, suggested official recognition and support.
He also cited reports alleging that the council operated a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account and received budgetary allocations under the 2026 Appropriation Act, saying such actions could not have occurred without the involvement of influential public officials.
"No reasonable Nigerian will believe that one individual could have carried out such operations without the active collaboration of powerful insiders within government," Eze said.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration could not distance itself from the controversy by blaming only the alleged promoter, insisting that every official who allegedly facilitated, endorsed or protected the operations of the council must be identified and brought to justice if the allegations are substantiated.
The ADC chieftain called on President Tinubu to institute an independent, transparent and comprehensive investigation to determine the legal status of the alleged council, establish whether public funds were allocated or released to it, identify all public officials connected to its operations, recover any funds unlawfully obtained and prosecute those found culpable.
Eze further argued that if President Tinubu was not presiding over what he described as a corruption-infested administration, then the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, should be investigated and, if found culpable, removed from office.
He warned that anything short of a thorough probe would fuel allegations of a cover-up and further weaken public confidence in government institutions.
Eze stressed that Nigeria deserved a system where public institutions operated transparently, due process was respected and no individual or group was allowed to exploit government structures with impunity.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that all those found responsible, irrespective of their political status or office, were held accountable in accordance with the law.
