TDAbuja, Nigeria — Prominent lawyer and rights advocate Chidi Odinkalu has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the scandal surrounding the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Odinkalu, writing on X, questioned why the ICPC required presidential instruction to act.
He noted that the Commission is an independent anti-graft body with the mandate to investigate corruption without executive prompting.
He further argued that the credibility of the probe is compromised because the Chief of Staff to the President is alleged to be central to the scandal.
“@officialABAT needed to instruct @icpcnigeria to do its work? Who is the epicentre of the investigation? The Chief of Staff.
“When the Commission submits its report, it will go to the President through whom? The Chief of Staff.
“The only way for an investigation to be credible is that the Chief of Staff should proceed on suspension,” Odinkalu wrote.
Allegations Against PFIPC and Presidency’s Directive
The scandal revolves around Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.
According to the allegation issued by the presidency, Matthew posed as Director-General of the PFIPC, using forged appointment letters allegedly tied to the Chief of Staff’s office.
Reports show that Adeyemi claimed budget allocations of up to ₦1.3 billion and opened multiple bank accounts.
He also interacted with government officials and foreign diplomats before the Presidency disavowed the entity as fictitious.
In a press release, the Presidency ordered the ICPC to conduct a 30-day investigation into the PFIPC.
ICPC is required to examine forged documents, fraudulent claims of presidential appointments, and the role of any public officials or institutions that may have enabled the scheme.
President Tinubu stressed that the integrity of the Presidency must be protected against impersonation and forgery.
Odinkalu’s Concerns
Odinkalu warned that routing the ICPC’s report through the Chief of Staff’s office creates a conflict of interest, undermining public trust in the process.
He insisted that the Chief of Staff should be suspended to prevent interference and ensure transparency.
The critique adds to growing calls from opposition parties and civil society for an independent judicial inquiry.
It argues that an executive-controlled investigation risks shielding key officials while scapegoating minor actors.
This controversy has become a major test of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability, with Odinkalu’s intervention amplifying demands for impartial scrutiny of a scandal that has already damaged Nigeria’s international reputation.
