PFIPC Fake Agency Scandal: Senate Takes Decision on Probing N1.3bn in 2026 Budget
- The Nigerian Senate voted against a motion to investigate how ₦1.3 billion was allocated to the allegedly non-existent PFIPC in the 2026 budget
- Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin said the Senate would wait for the ICPC's findings before taking further legislative action
- The Senate's decision contrasts with the House of Representatives, which adopted a motion to investigate the same controversial allocation
FCT, Abuja — The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, July 8, voted against a legislative investigation into the controversial ₦1.3 billion appropriated for the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 national budget.
The senators, however, chose instead to await the outcome of an ongoing inquiry by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Source: Twitter
The decision followed a voice vote that defeated a motion brought by Senator Kawu Sumaila, who represents Kano South under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Presiding over the session, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin argued that President Bola Tinubu had already directed the ICPC to conduct a full investigation, Vanguard reported.
"I believe that what we need to do at this stage is to have the report of the ICPC, and then we can act on that report, deal with it as we feel appropriate," Mr Jibrin said.
Senate vs House on the PFIPC scandal
Mr Sumaila mounted a vigorous defence of his motion before it was overturned, warning that allowing the matter to go unexamined by the National Assembly would further damage public confidence in the budget process.
"Inclusion of a purported non-existent or unauthorised entity in the national budget undermines the credibility of the appropriation process, exposes weaknesses in international budgetary scrutiny, erodes public confidence in the National Assembly and subjects the federal government to avoidable domestic and international criticism regarding transparency, accountability, and fiscal governance," he stated.
He called on the Senate to mandate its Committees on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, and Appropriations to probe how the allocation was proposed and passed. The chamber declined.
The Senate's position stands in sharp contrast to that of the House of Representatives, which recently adopted its own motion to investigate the same allocation.
Background: The PFIPC controversy
The scandal centres on Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is currently wanted by authorities for allegedly posing as the director-general of both the PFIPC and the Presidential Executive Advisory Council (PEAC).
The Presidency insists neither body exists and accuses Mr Adeyemi of forging official government documents. He has denied the forgery allegations, claiming they are intended to silence him.
Mr Adeyemi had earlier alleged that Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila demanded a 48 per cent cut of the ₦1.3 billion allocation. Mr Gbajabiamila on Tuesday. July 7, issued a 72-hour ultimatum demanding a retraction, threatening both a ₦10 billion defamation suit and criminal proceedings, Premium Times reported.
The day before the Senate vote, Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu said the National Assembly neither recommended nor inserted the allocation, adding that lawmakers are not constitutionally required to vet the credentials of individuals appointed to head government agencies.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent investigation into the affair, arguing that the ICPC cannot objectively probe a government it operates under.
Fake agency scandal: 'How I was tricked', Deputy Speaker speaks
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, admitted that he granted a meeting to representatives of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) after their correspondence convincingly mimicked official Presidency communications.
Kalu made the disclosure on Wednesday, July 8, during plenary, while contributing to a motion calling for a full investigation into the activities of the purported council, which the Presidency has since disowned.
Source: Legit.ng
