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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the National Assembly to investigate the allocation of over ₦1.3 billion to a “fictitious” presidential council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the organisation urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the approval of the allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
SERAP said the council was allocated ₦1,302,978,784 in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite the Presidency reportedly stating that the body does not exist.
“We’ve urged the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to urgently disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the consideration and approval of the allocation of over ₦1.3 billion (₦1,302,978,784) to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act,” the organisation said.
SERAP also asked the National Assembly to exercise its constitutional oversight powers to investigate how the allocation was incorporated into the budget.
The organisation further requested certified records identifying the lawmakers who handled the budget proposal and the officials who defended it before the relevant committees.
According to the organisation, conflicting accounts by the National Assembly and the Presidency have raised serious questions about transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s budget process.
“According to reports, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council was allocated over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. However, the Presidency has publicly stated that the body is fictitious and was never established by the Federal Government,” it said.
SERAP argued that the discrepancy undermines confidence in the country’s appropriations process.
The organisation also reminded lawmakers of their constitutional responsibility to scrutinise government spending proposals before approving them.
“Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law,” SERAP said.
“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 the Executive’s budget proposals before any authorisation.”
BREAKING: We’ve urged the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to urgently disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the consideration and approval of the allocation of over ₦1.3 billion…
— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) July 5, 2026
