Lagos, June 5, 2026 – The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged leadership of the National Assembly to disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the ₦1.3 billion (₦1,302,978,784) Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
SERAP made the demand in a Freedom of Information request signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, dated July 4, 2026.
The Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council was allocated over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The Presidency has, however, said the body is fictitious and was not established by the government.
SERAP has particularly urged Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, and Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to promptly exercise the National Assembly’s constitutional powers under 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 also urged the Assembly to provide certified copies of records identifying its members 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.”
SERAP also urged the National Assembly 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.
In the letter of request, SERAP said: “These conflicting accounts raise serious concerns regarding the integrity of Nigeria’s appropriations process, legislative oversight, public financial management and accountability.”
“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.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest.
“Disclosure of the requested information would strengthen public confidence in the credibility of the National Assembly and the integrity of the appropriations process, promote transparency in the management of public resources, and enable citizens to meaningfully scrutinise the exercise of parliamentary oversight.
“The requested records concern matters of exceptional public importance. They relate directly to the integrity of Nigeria’s budgetary and appropriations process, the lawful establishment and funding of public institutions, the expenditure of public funds, and the effectiveness of legislative oversight.
“The National Assembly has a clear obligation to disclose the requested information, particularly where there are credible allegations of governmental impropriety and possible misuse of public resources.
“The basic purpose of the Freedom of Information Act is to ensure an informed citizenry, enabling citizens to check corruption and hold public officials and institutions accountable.
“The United Nations Human Rights Committee has affirmed that Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party guarantees a right of access to information held by public bodies and requires governments to proactively place information of public interest in the public domain while responding promptly to requests for information.
“The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has consistently interpreted Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights as requiring maximum disclosure of information held by public authorities and recognising access to information as fundamental to transparency, accountability, democratic governance and public participation.
“The internationally recognised Tshwane Principles on National Security and the Right to Information further provide that no public authority should be categorically exempt from disclosure obligations and recognise an overriding public interest in the disclosure of information concerning corruption, abuse of public office and the use of public funds.
“The Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act and Nigeria’s international legal obligations rest upon the fundamental principle that public institutions are accountable to the people and that citizens are entitled to information concerning the conduct of public affairs.
“The disclosure of the requested information and documents would advance these constitutional and statutory objectives by promoting openness, strengthening legislative accountability and enhancing public confidence in the management of public resources.
“According to widely reported allegations, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council was allocated over ₦1.3 billion [₦1,302,978,784] in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
“However, the Presidency has publicly denied that the body exists. In a statement issued on 1 July 2026, the Presidency stated that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council is a fictitious body that was never established by the Federal Government.”
