The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has slammed Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for approving N1.3 billion to a purported fake agency in 2026 budget.
The CSO in a statement on Sunday urged the two National Assembly leaders to “urgently disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the consideration and approval of the allocation of over ₦1.3 billion (₦1,302,978,784) to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) Presidential Economic Advisory Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.”
SERAP also demanded the duo “to promptly exercise the National Assembly’s constitutional powers under sections 88 and 89 of the Nigerian Constitution to investigate the circumstances surrounding the allocation to ‘a fictitious presidential council’ in the 2026 Appropriation Act and to identify anyone responsible for any irregularities.”
It is also asking both National Assembly leaders to “provide certified copies of records identifying the members of the National Assembly committees that considered the allocation and the names and official designations of all public officers or representatives who appeared before those committees to defend the proposed allocation.”
The CSO is demanding from both leaders to “clarify whether the allocation formed part of the Executive’s original Appropriation Bill or was introduced or amended during the appropriations process and whether any lawmaker raised concerns or sought clarification regarding the legal status, establishment or operational mandate of the ‘fictitious body’; and the action taken by the National Assembly in response.”
According to reports, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council was allocated over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. However, the Presidency has publicly stated that the body is fictitious and was never established by the Federal Government.
A July 4 2026 Freedom of Information request signed by SERAP’s deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, said, “these conflicting accounts raise serious concerns regarding the integrity of Nigeria’s appropriations process, legislative oversight, public financial management and accountability.”
According to the CSO, “nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. The National Assembly ought to keep an eye on what the Executive is doing and to keep the Presidency and agencies of government in check including before and during the appropriation process by thoroughly scrutinising Executive’s budget proposals before any authorisation.
“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] 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.
“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.
“Providing the requested information would enable Nigerians to assess whether the National Assembly discharged its constitutional responsibilities under sections 80, 81, 88 and 89 of the Constitution in scrutinising and approving the allocation.”
