The Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, pending an independent investigation into allegations surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Zikirullahi said the controversy surrounding the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was too serious to be ignored, warning that it had raised fresh concerns about transparency, accountability and public trust in government.
Zikirullahi said the allegations had given renewed attention to the criticism by the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, who had described the Tinubu administration as practising “customer-client governance.”
He said the allegation by the self-acclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, that the Chief of Staff allegedly “procured the agency for him at a price” required an impartial investigation.
“These allegations are grave, destabilising and deeply troubling. No democracy can survive if public institutions become commodities traded in private marketplaces of influence. The only way to restore public confidence is through an independent, transparent and credible investigation,” Zikirullahi said.
The CHRICED Executive Director argued that the controversy had emerged at a time when Nigerians were already contending with worsening insecurity, economic hardship and concerns over public financial management.
According to him, revelations contained in the International Monetary Fund’s 2026 Article IV Consultation Report, which indicated that about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product was omitted from the 2025/2026 budget documentation, had further heightened public anxiety over fiscal transparency.
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“At a time when citizens are demanding answers about public finances, insecurity and governance, another scandal involving a government-linked body only deepens the crisis of confidence. Nigerians deserve openness, not secrecy,” he stated.
Zikirullahi maintained that the PFIPC controversy should not be treated as an isolated incident but as an opportunity to strengthen accountability within public institutions.
“The PFIPC scandal is not simply about one agency. It raises fundamental questions about the integrity of governance, the management of public institutions and whether public office remains a sacred trust or has become a marketplace for private interests,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government to establish an independent investigative panel comprising representatives of civil society organisations, anti-corruption experts and respected jurists to investigate the matter.
The CHRICED boss also demanded the publication of all government-linked councils, intervention bodies and committees, including details of their legal mandates, funding sources and operational frameworks.
“We are equally calling on the Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office to provide clear explanations regarding the issues raised by the IMF concerning government expenditure. Transparency is no longer optional; it is essential to rebuilding public trust,” he added.
Zikirullahi urged Nigerians, civil society organisations, the media, professional bodies, religious leaders and labour unions not to relent in demanding accountability.
“Silence in moments like this only encourages impunity. Citizens must continue to insist on transparency, accountability and justice, especially as the country prepares for another electoral cycle,” he said.
He stressed that confronting the allegations transparently would strengthen democratic institutions rather than weaken them.
“Nigeria must demonstrate that no public official is above scrutiny. Our democracy can only thrive when accountability prevails over impunity and when the public interest takes precedence over private influence,” Zikirullahi added.