Senate Refuses Fresh Probe Into Controversial N1.3bn Budget Allocation

(Nigerian Senate. Photo by Ntion News)

The Senate on Wednesday declined to launch a fresh investigation into the controversial N1.3 billion budgetary allocation to the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, saying it would rather await the outcome of the ongoing probe by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, which President Bola Tinubu had earlier ordered.

The decision followed a point of order raised by the Senator representing Kano South, Kawu Sumaila, who urged the upper chamber to investigate how the agency, which the Presidency has described as non-existent, secured a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

As Sumaila began presenting his motion, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary, interrupted him, noting that the matter ought to have come before the Senate as a substantive motion.

Presenting his argument, Sumaila said the controversy surrounding the PFIPC had raised serious concerns about the integrity of the nation's budget process.

He noted that despite the executive's public disowning of the agency, it was allocated N1,302,978,000 under budget code 0111062001 in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

He said he was rising under Order 9 and Rule 9(c) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026, to draw the chamber's attention to a matter of grave institutional concern, stressing that the issues raised directly affect the integrity of the Senate, the credibility of the National Assembly, and the effective exercise of its constitutional oversight and appropriation responsibilities.

He said that notwithstanding the executive's public disapproval of the agency, it was nonetheless incorporated into the 2026 Appropriation Act under the same code with the stated allocation, raising serious questions about the integrity of the budget preparation and appropriation process.

According to him, the allocation comprised more than N800 million for personnel costs, over N200 million for overheads, and more than N300 million for capital expenditure.

Sumaila argued that the inclusion of a purportedly non-existent agency in the national budget undermined public confidence in the appropriation process and exposed weaknesses in legislative scrutiny.

He urged the Senate to mandate its Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, and Appropriations to investigate how the allocation was proposed, scrutinised, justified and approved.

The lawmaker also called for an inquiry into whether any funds had been released, committed or spent under the budget line, and whether any bank account had been opened or operated in connection with the allocation.

However, the Senate leadership opposed the proposal, citing the ongoing anti-graft investigation.

Responding, Barau said the Presidency had already directed the ICPC to investigate the matter and that the commission had commenced work, adding that the Senate should await the outcome of the investigation before deciding on any further legislative action.

He said the Presidency had taken up the matter by directing a full ICPC investigation into how it came to be, noting that the commission had already begun work, and that the appropriate step at this stage would be to await the ICPC's report before acting on it as deemed necessary.

The controversy erupted after President Tinubu, on Tuesday, ordered the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which the Presidency said was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal basis.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency directed the anti-graft agency to submit its findings within 30 days.

According to the Presidency, the investigation will cover alleged forged appointment letters and official government documents reportedly used by one Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who allegedly presented himself as Director-General of the council and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.

The probe will also examine allegations that he used the false claim to seek official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, opened multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents, and the circumstances that enabled the fictitious body to appear legitimate.