Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has called for a thorough investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) saga, insisting that several top government officials should be held accountable if found culpable.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Dalung said no individual, regardless of position, should be exempt from investigation.
According to him, those who should be investigated include President Bola Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“These people, in my view, played roles in embarrassing Nigeria,” Dalung said.
The controversy follows allegations by businessman Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claimed that Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, allegedly received ₦400 million through a proxy and later demanded an additional ₦200 million to facilitate his appointment.
The Presidency has denied the allegation, maintaining that Gbajabiamila neither issues appointment letters nor has the authority to make appointments.
However, Dalung argued that the Chief of Staff remains the central figure in the controversy and should be treated as the prime suspect in any credible investigation.
“Anybody who is not looking at the Chief of Staff to the President as a prime suspect is complicit in the entire transaction and needs to be investigated,” he said.
Dalung maintained that the office of the Chief of Staff plays a strategic role within the Presidency, making it virtually impossible for anyone to gain access to the Presidential Villa without proper authorization.
He questioned how the businessman allegedly gained access to the seat of government if due security protocols were followed.
According to the former minister, Gbajabiamila must explain whether the President was misled, whether crucial information was deliberately withheld, or whether the entire episode resulted from what he described as “a personal and selfish agenda.”
The allegations remain unproven, and no court has established any wrongdoing against the officials mentioned. The Presidency has continued to reject the claims against the Chief of Staff.
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