Gbajabiamila: Four Difficult Questions Tinubu Must Answer – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally provide answers to what he described as four difficult questions arising from the controversy over the alleged “ghost” Federal Government agency linked to one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew and involving his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Atiku said the presidency’s disclaimer disowning Adeyemi and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, was not enough to close the matter, especially as the controversy has raised serious concerns about access to power, budgetary processes, official recognition and accountability within the Tinubu administration.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, had on Wednesday described Adeyemi and the PFIPC as fraudulent, insisting that the body was not a recognised Federal Government agency.

But Atiku, in his reaction, said Nigerians deserve more than a disclaimer. He argued that the matter had gone beyond a routine case of impersonation because the alleged agency reportedly operated in the public space, interacted with senior government officials and was allegedly linked to the 2026 national budget.

According to him, President Tinubu must answer the first question: how did an alleged unknown actor create and operate a supposed Federal Government agency from within official government circles without being detected?

Atiku said it was troubling that an entity now described as fake could allegedly have been associated with the Federal Secretariat, a major government facility under official supervision.

He said the second question concerns how the alleged agency reportedly secured a budgetary code and an allocation of N1.3 billion in the 2026 national budget.

The former Vice President said such a claim, if not transparently addressed, would raise deeper concerns about weaknesses in Nigeria’s budget preparation and approval process.

Atiku said the third question Tinubu must answer is how Adeyemi, despite being described by the presidency as a fraudster, reportedly gained access to senior public officials, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede.

He said reports that Adeyemi also met traditional rulers, diplomats and prospective investors make it difficult for the government to simply dismiss the matter as the action of a lone individual.

The fourth question, according to Atiku, is why the presidency’s statement did not directly address the allegation that Adeyemi claimed to have paid N400 million in connection with access or appointment, including claims involving the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Atiku said Gbajabiamila and other public officials whose names have been mentioned in connection with the controversy should welcome a transparent investigation to clear the air.

He also raised concern over the reported death of Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, who was alleged to have acted as an intermediary in the matter, saying the circumstances should form part of a comprehensive inquiry.

The former Vice President said the Tinubu administration must not allow the controversy to join what he called the growing list of unresolved scandals in government.

He called for an independent forensic probe into the matter, insisting that Nigerians must be told how the alleged PFIPC was created, how it operated, who enabled it, and whether any public officials failed in their duties.

Atiku said public trust can only be protected when government officials are willing to answer difficult questions, especially when allegations touch the presidency, the legislature and the budget process.

He also urged the authorities to ensure that Adeyemi’s case is handled swiftly and transparently, while all public officials who had any form of contact with the alleged agency should be invited to state their roles.

According to him, resolving the matter before the 2027 general election is necessary to prevent further erosion of citizens’ confidence in public institutions.