The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Government of running the country recklessly.
NPO Reports that this is following the allegations by Prince Adeniyi Matthew, who claimed that Gbajabiamila solicited and received financial inducements to facilitate his appointment into the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and made additional demands while he operated within the office.
In a statement titled “Gbajagate: A Damning Revelation of the Incompetence and Negligence of the APC-Led Federal Government,” the PDP said the allegations and the Presidency’s explanation have exposed a deep institutional failure within the current administration.
Recall that NPO reported that the Presidency had dismissed Matthew as an impostor and fraudster, maintaining that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council was never established by the Federal Government.
Reacting to the development, the PDP argued that the Presidency’s response failed to address how an alleged impostor could have operated at the highest levels of government.
According to the opposition party, if the Presidency’s account is accurate, it raises serious concerns about the integrity of government institutions and the effectiveness of internal checks.
The party questioned how Matthew secured office space within a government facility, had staff assigned to him, received budgetary allocations, operated Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-registered accounts and interacted with agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security institutions without authorisation.
The PDP argued that if Matthew was indeed an impostor, it would expose significant weaknesses in the Federal Government’s institutional safeguards.
On the other hand, the party said if his allegations against the Chief of Staff are established, they would point to corruption within the administration.
“Whichever way this pendulum swings, the Nigerian people lose,” the PDP stated.
Meanwhile, The Presidency has maintained that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council is a fictitious body that was never created by the Federal Government and has dismissed Matthew’s claims.