The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to explain how more than ₦1.3 billion was allocated in the 2026 Appropriation Act to what the Presidency has described as a non-existent presidential council.
In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated July 4, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged the National Assembly leadership to immediately release certified copies of all documents relating to the consideration and approval of the ₦1,302,978,784 allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The rights group also asked the Senate President and the Speaker to invoke the investigative powers of the National Assembly under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution to probe the circumstances surrounding the allocation and identify anyone responsible for any irregularities.
SERAP further requested certified records identifying members of the National Assembly committees that considered the allocation, as well as the names and official designations of all public officials or representatives who appeared before the committees to defend the proposed expenditure.
The organisation also sought clarification on whether the controversial allocation formed part of the Executive’s original 2026 Appropriation Bill or was introduced during the legislative budget process. It asked lawmakers to disclose whether any concerns were raised over the legal status, establishment or operational mandate of the council and what actions, if any, the National Assembly took in response.
The request followed reports that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council received an allocation exceeding ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 budget despite the Presidency publicly stating that the body was never established and does not exist.
Describing the conflicting accounts as deeply troubling, SERAP said they raised serious questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s budget process, legislative oversight, public financial management and accountability.
“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,” the organisation said.
SERAP maintained that the National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility not merely to approve the Executive’s budget proposals but to rigorously scrutinise, debate and authorise public expenditure in accordance with the Constitution.
It argued that lawmakers have a duty to ensure effective oversight of the Executive throughout the appropriation process by carefully examining all budget proposals before approving public spending.
According to the organisation, disclosure of the requested documents would enable Nigerians to determine whether the National Assembly fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities under Sections 80, 81, 88 and 89 of the Constitution in scrutinising and approving the disputed allocation.
SERAP also said making the records public would strengthen confidence in the credibility of the National Assembly, promote transparency in the management of public resources and enhance citizens’ ability to hold public officials accountable.
The organisation described the records as matters of exceptional public importance, noting that they relate directly to the integrity of Nigeria’s budgeting process, the lawful establishment and funding of public institutions, the expenditure of public funds and the effectiveness of legislative oversight.
It argued that the Freedom of Information Act, the Constitution and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations require public institutions to disclose information of significant public interest, particularly where there are credible allegations of governmental impropriety or possible misuse of public funds.
SERAP cited international standards, including Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Tshwane Principles on National Security and the Right to Information, which recognise access to public information as fundamental to transparency, accountability and democratic governance.
The organisation gave the National Assembly seven days to provide the requested information, warning that it would initiate appropriate legal proceedings if its request was ignored.
The controversy emerged after the Presidency, in a statement issued on July 1, 2026, publicly denied the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, describing it as a fictitious body that was never established by the Federal Government, despite its inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of more than ₦1.3 billion.
