- Revealed: How PFIPC’s Budget Was Accelerated
- Lawmakers claim the council did not defend its budget before approval.
- Fresh calls grow for a probe into the council’s operations and funding.
Fresh controversy has emerged over the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) following allegations that the organisation secured more than ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act without undergoing the mandatory legislative budget defence.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the development has intensified scrutiny surrounding the council and its self styled Director General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, amid growing questions over the circumstances that led to the agency’s inclusion in the national budget.
The controversy has also triggered calls for a thorough investigation into how the council allegedly secured office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and obtained a budgetary allocation despite claims by the Presidency that the organisation is not a recognised government agency.
Adeyemi reportedly operated for several months from an office at the Federal Secretariat, where he received foreign diplomats and international partners while presenting himself as the head of the council.
The arrangement came under public scrutiny after the Presidency reportedly distanced itself from the organisation, describing it as a non existent and unauthorised body.
Council Received ₦1.3 Billion Allocation
According to Vanguard, an examination of pages 50 and 51 of the approved 2026 Appropriation Act showed that the organisation was listed as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The council, listed under budget code 0111062001, was allocated a total of ₦1,302,978,784.
Of the total allocation, ₦1,002,978,784 was earmarked for recurrent expenditure, while ₦300 million was designated for capital projects.
A breakdown of the budget indicated that ₦573,260,187 was allocated for personnel salaries, while ₦229,718,596 was provided for allowances and social contributions.
The budget also included ₦182.5 million for logistics related to the proposed World Investment Summit 2026 and another ₦11 million for what was described as strategic negotiation for investment professionals.
Agency Allegedly Bypassed Budget Defence
Legislative sources quoted by Vanguard alleged that officials of the PFIPC did not appear before the relevant Senate committee to defend the proposed budget before its approval.
According to the sources, the council’s management did not present its estimates before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters, chaired by Senator Cyril Fasuyi, representing Ekiti North.
Under the Senate Standing Orders 2023, as amended, the committee is responsible for scrutinising the annual budget proposals of agencies under its oversight.
Ordinarily, after the President presents the Appropriation Bill, it passes through the required legislative stages before relevant committees invite ministers and heads of government agencies to defend their budget estimates.
Lawmakers are expected to examine previous budget performance, personnel costs, capital projects and proposed expenditures before making recommendations for approval.
However, the sources alleged that the PFIPC allocation was inserted into the budget and approved without undergoing the standard legislative scrutiny, raising fresh concerns over possible irregularities in the budget process.
