The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has insisted that the scandal involving the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has exposed President Bola Tinubu’s Presidency as a den of corruption.


Abdullahi said Nigerians should feel embarrassed that the PFIPC scam has created a damaging impression of the country before the international community.


Speaking in an interview with Symfoni TV, he stated that Nigerians and the world now view Tinubu’s Presidency as one involved in racketeering.


“Not just Tinubu but all of us as Nigerians should feel collectively embarrassed because the impression that has been created before the world today is that the Nigerian presidency is a den of corruption. 


"There has been whispers of people taking money to award contracts, taking money in the presidency to arrange appointment with the president, people taking money to get appointments for people in agencies and parastatals. We never believed it because we said that it could never be that bad,” he said.


Abdullahi added that he had served as a minister and previously dismissed such claims as impossible. 


However, Adeyemi’s allegations have led many to believe that what has come to light is only a fraction of long-running practices that have become “business as usual” under Tinubu.


He charged President Tinubu to ensure the matter is thoroughly investigated to clear his Presidency of any complicity in the corruption.


“And that is why I said that Tinubu has a duty to himself to ensure that this matter is investigated and proven beyond all doubts that his presidency is not complicit in this level of corruption that has shaken the firmament of our nation.


“He started by exonerating his Chief of Staff that I have confidence in him but what people are hearing is I’m protecting my Chief of Staff, it’s not good for him,” Abdullahi said.


He further urged the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to proceed on leave to allow for an independent investigation into the scam.


“People believe that the Chief of Staff has colluded in corruption of this magnitude but he said no I have no hand in it, then why are you afraid of an independent panel to investigate? If I were Gbajabiamila, I would go to the president and say I offer to go on leave because it’s my name that is being dragged in the mud and no amount of money on earth is worth my name.


“I offer to proceed on leave so that this investigation can be carried out so that I can be exonerated beyond all doubts but you are sitting in the office while all this stench of corruption is spelling around you?” he asked.