By Anthony Otaru, Abuja
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the leadership of the National Assembly to release documents relating to the approval of ₦1.3 billion allocated to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act, following the Presidency’s claim that the body does not exist.
The rights group also called on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the allocation and identify those responsible for any irregularities in the budgeting process.
In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated July 4, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said that the contradictory claims about the council’s existence had raised serious concerns about legislative oversight, public financial management, and the credibility of Nigeria’s appropriation process.
“These conflicting accounts raise serious concerns regarding the integrity of Nigeria’s appropriations process, legislative oversight, public financial management and accountability,” the organisation said.
SERAP requested certified copies of documents showing how the ₦1,302,978,784 allocation was considered and approved, including records identifying members of the relevant National Assembly committees and public officials who defended the budget proposal before lawmakers.
The organisation also asked the National Assembly to clarify whether the allocation was included in the Executive’s original Appropriation Bill or introduced during legislative consideration.
It further sought to know whether any lawmaker questioned the legal status or operational mandate of the council before approving the allocation and what action was taken in response.
“Nigerians have a right to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was not lawfully established and, if so, how this occurred,” SERAP stated.
The organisation argued that the Constitution places a duty on the National Assembly not only to approve government spending but also to thoroughly scrutinise budget proposals before authorising the expenditure of public funds.
According to SERAP, lawmakers have a constitutional obligation to ensure that public resources are allocated only to lawfully established institutions and in accordance with the Constitution.
The group maintained that releasing the requested documents would promote transparency, strengthen public confidence in the National Assembly and enable citizens to assess whether lawmakers discharged their constitutional oversight responsibilities.
SERAP warned that it would institute legal proceedings if the requested information were not provided within seven days.
“If we have not heard from you within seven days, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest,” the organisation said.
The controversy followed a statement by the Presidency denying the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, despite its allocation of more than ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, a development that has sparked fresh calls for accountability and greater scrutiny of Nigeria’s budget approval process.
