By Seun Ibiyemi
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to explain how over ₦1.3 billion was allocated to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite the Presidency’s claim that the body does not exist.
In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated July 4, 2026, SERAP urged the leadership of the National Assembly to disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the consideration and approval of the ₦1,302,978,784 allocation.
The organisation also called on both presiding officers to immediately invoke the National Assembly’s investigative powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution to probe the circumstances surrounding the allocation and identify anyone responsible for any irregularities.
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Signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the request said the conflicting positions of the National Assembly and the Presidency raise serious concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s budget process, legislative oversight and public financial management.
According to SERAP, Nigerians deserve to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was never lawfully established and, if so, how the allocation was approved.
The organisation requested certified records identifying members of the National Assembly committees that considered the allocation, as well as the names and official designations of government officials and other representatives who defended the budget proposal before the committees.
It also sought clarification on whether the allocation formed part of the Executive’s original 2026 Appropriation Bill or was introduced during the legislative appropriation process.
SERAP further asked whether any lawmaker raised concerns over the legal status, establishment or operational mandate of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and what action the National Assembly took in response.
“The Nigerian Constitution places significant responsibilities on the National Assembly in relation to the appropriation process. These constitutional duties require the National Assembly not merely to approve the Executive’s budget proposals, but to scrutinise, debate and authorise public expenditure in line with the Constitution,” the organisation stated.
SERAP argued that disclosure of the requested information would enable Nigerians to determine whether the National Assembly fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities under Sections 80, 81, 88 and 89 of the Constitution.
It maintained that making the documents public would strengthen confidence in the credibility of the legislature, enhance transparency in the management of public resources and promote accountability in the budget process.
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The organisation warned that it would institute legal proceedings if the requested information is not provided within seven days of receipt or publication of the FoI request.
SERAP also cited the Freedom of Information Act, the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in support of its request.
The demand follows a statement by the Presidency on July 1, 2026, denying the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council and describing it as a fictitious body that was never established by the Federal Government, despite its allocation of more than ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 budget.
