The Senate on Wednesday declined to immediately investigate the inclusion of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 Appropriation Act, choosing instead to await the outcome of an ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The decision followed a motion moved during plenary by Senator Kawu Sumaila (APC, Kano South), who called for an investigation into how the alleged agency secured a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 national budget.
The Senate’s position comes just a day after President Bola Tinubu directed the ICPC to conduct a full investigation into the alleged agency, which the Federal Government insists was never legally established.
Presenting his motion, Senator Sumaila argued that the controversy had raised serious concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s budget preparation and approval process.
According to him, despite the Presidency publicly disowning the PFIPC, the agency still appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act under Budget Code 0111062001 with an allocation of ₦1.3 billion.
“Notwithstanding the executive’s public disapproval of this agency, the entity was incorporated in the 2026 Appropriation Act under Code 0111062001 with a budgetary allocation of ₦1.3 billion,” Sumaila said.
He urged the Senate to determine how the budget proposal was introduced, scrutinised and eventually approved, as well as establish whether any funds had already been released or spent.
Responding to the motion, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, said the Presidency had already taken the necessary steps by directing the ICPC to investigate the matter.
“The Presidency has taken up this matter by directing the ICPC to investigate fully how this matter came to be,” Barau said.
He maintained that the Senate should wait for the anti-corruption agency’s report before deciding on any legislative action.
“I believe what we need to do at this stage is to have the report of the ICPC, and then we can act on that report and deal with it as we feel appropriate.”
The controversy intensified after Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew publicly disputed the Presidency’s claim that the PFIPC never existed.
During a recent media briefing, Adeyemi accused Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of issuing conflicting statements regarding both the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
He also alleged that references to both organisations appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act, raising further questions about how they found their way into the national budget.
Adeyemi further alleged that Femi Gbajabiamila demanded money in connection with his purported appointment, claiming the Chief of Staff received ₦400 million through intermediaries and later requested an additional ₦200 million.
The allegations remain unsubstantiated, and Gbajabiamila has consistently denied any involvement.
President Tinubu’s directive requires the ICPC to investigate every aspect of the alleged fake agency.
The investigation will examine:
* The authenticity of appointment letters and official government documents allegedly used by those behind the scheme.
* Claims of presidential appointments allegedly used to obtain official recognition, diplomatic support and visa facilitation.
* The opening and operation of bank accounts linked to the purported agency.
* The movement of any funds associated with the organisation.
* Whether any public officials, financial institutions, agents or private individuals assisted in facilitating or legitimising the alleged activities.
The commission has also been tasked with finding weaknesses in government procedures that may have enabled the alleged scheme to gain credibility and recommending reforms to stop similar events in the future.
To support the investigation, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been directed to provide the ICPC with all relevant records, documents and assistance needed to guarantee a thorough and timely investigation.
