The Senate on Wednesday declined to open a full parliamentary investigation into the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, known as PFIPC.
The move was proposed by Senator Suleiman Kawu, representing Kano South, who raised a point of order during plenary and called for a detailed probe into the council’s budgetary allocation, operations and disputed status.
Kawu said the controversy around the PFIPC had raised serious questions about the integrity of the Senate, the credibility of the National Assembly and the legislature’s constitutional powers over appropriation and oversight.
He presented a motion titled, “Urgent Need to Investigate the Budgetary Allocation, Operations, and Controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) to safeguard the Integrity of the Senate and the Federal Government.”
Kawu questions PFIPC budget entry
In his submission, Kawu said the public space had been filled with allegations, accusations and counter-accusations over the council in recent weeks.
He argued that the Senate needed to find out how an entity described by critics as questionable or unauthorised allegedly appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act under Budget Code 0111062001.
The senator asked the upper chamber to condemn any administrative failures, internal collaboration or fraudulent actions that may have allowed the council to be included in the budget.
He also requested that the Senate Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, as well as Appropriations, investigate how the sum of N1.302 billion was proposed, reviewed, justified and approved for the council.
Kawu further asked the Senate to determine which ministries, departments, agencies or public officials may have been involved in the inclusion of the PFIPC in the budget.
He said the probe should also establish whether any funds had been released, committed or spent under the budget line, and whether any bank accounts had been opened in the council’s name.
Deputy Senate President blocks debate
However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, ruled against opening a debate on the matter.
Jibrin said the Executive arm of government had already taken steps to address the controversy.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the matter.
According to him, the Senate should allow the executive-led investigation to run its course before taking further action.
Jibrin urged lawmakers to wait for the outcome of the ICPC probe rather than begin a separate parliamentary process immediately.
Controversy remains under scrutiny
The Senate’s decision means there will be no immediate legislative probe into the PFIPC budget controversy, despite concerns raised over how the alleged council found its way into public financial records.
The matter has drawn public attention because of wider questions around budget scrutiny, accountability and the creation or recognition of government bodies.
For now, the focus shifts to the ICPC, which is expected to investigate the claims and determine whether there were irregularities in the alleged budget allocation, whether public officials were involved and whether any government funds were released.
The outcome of that investigation may determine whether the Senate revisits the matter or allows the executive process to stand as the main channel of accountability.
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