The Senate is expected to address the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) when plenary resumes on Tuesday, following growing concerns over a N1.3 billion allocation to the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The controversy has intensified after the Presidency maintained that the council was never lawfully established, raising questions about how it allegedly secured a budgetary allocation.
A National Assembly source said the Senate leadership would use Tuesday’s sitting to respond to the controversy and address allegations of complicity.
“I understand the Senate leadership will address the controversy on Tuesday to douse the growing tension and alleged complicity by any of its presiding officers,” the source said.
Forgery Allegations
The controversy widened after Presidency and civil service sources alleged that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew used a forged appointment letter bearing the falsified signature of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to obtain office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
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According to the sources, the document was accepted without proper verification, allowing the council to operate with the appearance of an official government agency for more than a year.
A Presidency official explained that the appointment process for heads of federal agencies does not involve the Chief of Staff.
“The Chief of Staff has never appointed anyone at that level. All directors-general and permanent secretaries are appointed by the President,” the source said.
Civil Society Demands Answers
The development has triggered fresh calls for accountability from civil society organisations.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) have called for the release of documents relating to the N1.3 billion budget allocation and urged authorities to explain how the council was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Reactions Trail Controversy
The House of Representatives appealed for patience, urging Nigerians to allow the legal process to run its course.
Deputy House Spokesman Philip Agbese said the courts should be allowed to determine the issues surrounding the case.
“The issue is being handled legally, and I think we should all be patient. Nigerians will get to know in detail what transpired,” he said.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also weighed in on the controversy, calling on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the matter.
Atiku, through his spokesman, Phrank Shaibu, said the scandal had gone beyond allegations of forgery and now raised serious concerns about the integrity of government institutions.
The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party said the incident exposed weaknesses in government institutions, while the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights urged Gbajabiamila to step aside pending an independent probe.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement also demanded explanations on how the council secured a budget allocation, questioning which government offices processed its documentation and whether public funds had been released.
The controversy is expected to feature prominently when senators reconvene on Tuesday.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.