Nigeria stands today at a dangerous crossroads. A nation already buckling under the weight of spiralling insecurity, kidnapped children languishing in forest dens, and a collapsing social contract now confronts yet another scandal—one that strikes at the very heart of governance, accountability, and public trust.
When the Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as “Customer-Client Governance,” many dismissed it as routine opposition rhetoric. Yet his warning—that the government treats Nigerians as mere customers to be transacted with rather than citizens to be served—has gained chilling validation in light of the unfolding controversy surrounding the disclaimed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Today, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) raises the alarm with urgency and moral clarity. The PFIPC scandal is not an isolated aberration; it is a symptom of a deeper rot. It is a mirror held up to a governance structure increasingly defined by opacity, transactional power, and elite capture.
At the centre of this storm is the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, whom the disowned Director-General of PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, alleges “procured the agency for him at a price.” This claim—grave, destabilizing, and deeply troubling—demands immediate and independent scrutiny. No democracy can survive when public institutions become commodities in private marketplaces of influence.
This scandal erupts at a time when Nigerians are already grappling with revelations from the IMF’s 2026 Article IV Consultation Report, which noted that about 2% of Nigeria’s GDP—roughly ₦8.83 trillion—was unrecorded in official 2025/2026 budget documents, making the government’s fiscal deficit and borrowing requirements appear smaller than reality. Such a discrepancy is not merely an accounting error; it is a national emergency. It raises existential questions about fiscal governance, public accountability, and the integrity of national institutions.
Meanwhile, across the country, families mourn children who never returned home from school. Communities live under siege. Citizens navigate daily life with fear as kidnappers, bandits, and criminal networks operate with impunity. In such a climate, every act of governmental misconduct becomes doubly injurious—because it diverts attention, resources, and moral authority away from the urgent task of securing the nation.
CHRICED therefore issues the following demands:
Immediate suspension of the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, pending the outcome of a transparent investigation.
Constitution of an independent investigative panel, comprising civil society, anti-corruption experts, and respected jurists, to probe the PFIPC scandal and all related transactions.
Full disclosure of all government-linked councils, committees, and intervention bodies, including their mandates, funding sources, and operational frameworks.
Urgent clarification from the Ministry of Finance and Budget Office regarding the IMF’s statement on untraceable government spending.
A national recommitment to transparency, especially in a period where insecurity and economic hardship demand responsible leadership.
Nigeria cannot afford governance by shadows. The PFIPC scandal is not simply about one agency—it is about the soul of the republic. It is about whether public office remains a sacred trust or becomes a marketplace for private deals. It is about whether kidnapped children will ever see justice, whether taxpayers will ever see accountability, and whether citizens will ever again believe in the institutions meant to serve them.
CHRICED calls on civil society, the media, trade unions, religious leaders, youth organisations, professional bodies, and every Nigerian of conscience to remain vigilant. Silence is complicity. Complacency is surrender. The nation must demand answers, insist on accountability, and refuse to allow this scandal to be swept under the carpet of political convenience—especially now that another general election is looming.
Nigeria must confront this scandal with courage. Nigeria must demand answers. Nigeria must insist on justice.
And Nigeria must never again allow its future to be sold.
Signed:
Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi
Executive Director
