Abure, Shittu Deny Ties With PFIPC Scandal Middleman

The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, and a former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, have denied having any relationship with the late Dolapo Tanimola, who was reportedly linked to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Naija News reports that their reactions followed the circulation of photographs showing them alongside several prominent Nigerians, including Tanimola, at various events.

Public attention turned to Tanimola after the Presidency identified him as the alleged intermediary who helped Adeniyi Adeyemi obtain a disputed appointment letter portraying him as the Director-General of the purported council.

Adeyemi is being investigated for allegedly operating the PFIPC as a government agency despite claims by the Presidency that the body had no legal existence.

According to information released by the Presidency, Adeyemi reportedly told investigators that Tanimola assisted him in securing the appointment letter used to present himself as the head of the disputed organisation.

Tanimola was said to have died in a fire at Kachi Hotel in the Utako area of Abuja on October 22, 2025.

His death reportedly occurred five days before Adeyemi, who has been described as the principal suspect in the controversy, was arrested.

Abure Says Photograph Is Old

Responding to inquiries by Punch, Abure, through his spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, said he did not recognise Tanimola and could not recall the circumstances under which the photograph was taken.

Ifoh argued that Abure had met and taken photographs with numerous people during his years as a political leader, making it difficult to identify everyone who had approached him.

He stated, “If you look at the photograph in question, you will discover that it is very old; so old that even Abure himself can’t even remember where it was taken.

“Again, due to his position as a former national chairman of the party, hundreds of people had visited him in the past. So, we don’t really have a good recollection of how the photo came to be.”

He estimated that the image might have been taken more than 15 years ago and dismissed suggestions that it proved a personal relationship.

Ifoh asked, “That picture I saw must have been taken over 15 years ago or thereabouts. Take Peter Obi, for instance, quite a number of people take selfies with him wherever he goes. But how many of them does he know?

“So, we don’t think this is really something newsworthy to start talking about. There is no relationship between the two.”

‘I Have Never Met Him’ — Shittu

Shittu also denied knowing Tanimola, saying he could not initially recognise the late intermediary.

The former coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Organisation requested to see the photograph before making a further comment.

“Honestly, I don’t know him. Please send me the controversial photograph you are talking about. Perhaps, I may remember his face,” he said.

After viewing the image, Shittu maintained that Tanimola was unfamiliar to him and expressed surprise over the photograph’s origin.

“No, he is not a familiar face. In fact, I am just seeing the so-called picture for the first time. But how and where it emanated from is what I can’t understand,” he added.

The photographs, which were first published by Daily Trust, reportedly showed Tanimola with several influential Nigerians on different occasions.

Those seen with him included former President Goodluck Jonathan; a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.); businessmen Tony Elumelu and Abdulsamad Rabiu; and former Inspectors-General of Police Mike Okiro, Solomon Arase and Kayode Egbetokun.

Others included businessman and philanthropist Arthur Eze, Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and the Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.