The Senate is expected to address the controversy surrounding the ₦1.3 billion allocation to the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) when lawmakers resume plenary on Tuesday.

The planned deliberation follows growing concerns over the inclusion of the allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite questions about the legal status of the council and claims that no authorised officials appeared before the relevant Senate committee to defend the budget.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the issue has generated widespread scrutiny within government circles, with allegations that procedural lapses allowed the disputed council to gain official recognition for an extended period.

The controversy centres on claims that a forged appointment letter allegedly bearing the falsified signature of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was accepted without proper verification, enabling Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew to operate from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.

Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity argued that the incident exposed weaknesses in existing administrative and oversight procedures, pointing to the Budget Office, the Civil Service Headquarters and the National Assembly as institutions where more rigorous scrutiny could have prevented the development.

 Senate Faces Pressure Over PFIPC Budget Allocation

A National Assembly source alleged that the ₦1.3 billion allocation was introduced into the budget through a broader package rather than as an independently scrutinised item.

According to the source, the budget entry did not undergo the usual committee defence process before receiving legislative approval.

The source added that the Senate leadership is expected to address the matter during plenary to clarify issues surrounding the allocation and respond to growing public concern.

The controversy has also attracted the attention of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which has formally requested that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas release documents relating to the approval of the allocation.

In a Freedom of Information request signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP called on the National Assembly to investigate the circumstances surrounding the budgetary provision and disclose records identifying lawmakers, committee members and officials involved in considering the allocation.

The organisation also requested clarification on whether the disputed allocation formed part of the Executive’s original Appropriation Bill or was introduced during legislative deliberations.

According to SERAP, Nigerians deserve to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was not lawfully established, describing transparency in the matter as essential to preserving confidence in the country’s budgetary process.

The advocacy group gave the leadership of the National Assembly seven days to respond, warning that it would pursue legal action should its request remain unanswered.

Fresh SGF Document Raises New Questions

Adding a new dimension to the controversy, fresh documents have reportedly emerged indicating that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) authorised Adeniyi Adeyemi, who described himself as Director-General of the PFIPC, to participate in the Canada-Africa Fintech Summit held in August 2025.

The document, reportedly signed on behalf of the SGF by the Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office, Nadungu Gagare, invited Adeyemi to join Nigeria’s delegation to the international summit and encouraged him to involve other stakeholders in the programme.

According to the letter, the event was intended to strengthen Nigeria’s economic partnerships, promote digital finance and technology, encourage bilateral trade and attract foreign direct investment into the country.

The emergence of the document has intensified debate over the Presidency’s earlier position that the PFIPC never officially existed and that documents linked to the council were allegedly fabricated.

Government authorities have previously called on security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate individuals who may have assisted in legitimising the activities of the disputed council.

With lawmakers expected to revisit the issue, attention will focus on whether the Senate’s deliberations will provide clarity on how the allocation was approved and whether further legislative or investigative action will follow.