Atiku Reacts to Presidency's Statement on Alleged Fake Agency

Atiku Reacts to Presidency's Statement on Alleged Fake Agency

  • Atiku Abubakar claimed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government is compromised by internal fraudsters
  • The ADC presidential candidate criticised the Presidency's explanation as a public confession of institutional failure
  • The former vice president said contradictions arise over the existence and funding of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

FCT, Abuja - The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) shows President Bola Tinubu’s administration is being held hostage by fraudsters.

Atiku lamented that fraudsters are operating from within the very institutions established to protect Nigeria.

Atiku claims Tinubu's "hostage by fraudsters" over alleged fake agency
Atiku blasts Tinubu's govt over alleged fake agency. Photo credit: @atiku/@OfficialABAT
Source: Facebook

Atiku said Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga’s response was not a defence but a public confession of institutional collapse.

This was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Thursday, July 2, 2026 and made available to Legit.ng.

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He said the Presidency's attempt at damage control has become self-indictment.

"The Presidency now wants Nigerians to believe that one private citizen single-handedly forged presidential documents, impersonated senior government officials, established an office inside the Federal Secretariat, allegedly opened dozens of bank accounts—including accounts bearing government identities—hosted foreign ambassadors without diplomatic clearance, secured official recognition across several government circles, and all but embedded a phantom agency into the machinery of government without a single insider aiding him. That explanation demands far greater faith than the scandal itself.”

The former vice president said there are glaring contradictions that the Presidency failed to explain.

"On one hand, it insists that the PFIPC never existed and was nothing more than an elaborate scam. On the other hand, public records reportedly reveal that approximately ₦1.3 billion was appropriated for that very council in the 2026 Appropriation Act, listed alongside the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
"This contradiction is too monumental to ignore."
Atiku lashes out at Tinubu's over alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)
Atiku speaks out on the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). Photo credit: @atiku/@OfficialABAT
Source: Getty Images

Presidency clears Gbajabiamila in alleged fake agency

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Recall that the presidency cleared Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila of ties to forged agency allegations.

Investigation revealed a fake council operated without government authorisation, raising diplomatic concerns.

The suspect, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has been arrested amid claims of fraudulent activities linked to non-existent presidential structures.

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Atiku calls out Tinubu over ₦501bn power bond

Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Atiku condemned the Tinubu administration over what he described as an unaccounted cycle of power sector borrowing.

APGC Executive Secretary Dr Joy Ogaji disclosed that the ₦501 billion bond has not been fully disbursed, directly contradicting repeated government claims.

Atiku demanded that the Federal Government publish names, amounts, and payment dates for every generation company that received funds from the bond.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Adekunle Dada avatar

Adekunle Dada (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Adekunle Dada is a trained journalist with over 8 years of working experience. He is also a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a B.Sc. in Mass Communication from Lagos State University, Ojo. Adekunle previously worked at PM News, The Sun, and Within Nigeria, where he expressed his journalistic skills with well-researched articles and features. In 2024, Adekunle obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. He can be reached via adekunle.dada@corp.legit.ng.