The Nigerian Senate has rejected an urgent motion which sought for condemnation and investigation of controversy surrounding the existence or otherwise, of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) which the National Assembly appropriated N1.3billion for, in the 2026 budget.
Senator Sumaila Kawu representing Kano South, had at commencement of plenary, moved motion on privileges through order 9 and 9C of the Senate rules, to draw attention of Senators to the controversy, which according to him, affects the integrity of the National Assembly.
Senator Kawu in the motion said the inclusion of a purportedly non-existent or unauthorised entity in the national budget, undermines the credibility of the appropriation process, exposes weaknesses in institutional budgetary scrutiny, erodes public confidence in the National Assembly, and subjects the Federal Government to avoidable domestic and international criticism, regarding transparency, accountability and fiscal governance.
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He posted that unless the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act are thoroughly investigated, the public confidence in the integrity of the budgetary process and the oversight functions of the National Assembly may be significantly diminished and prayed the Senate to :
(i) Condemn in the Strongest terms the administrative lapses, internal collaborations, or fraudulent schemes that enabled a purportedly nonexistent or unauthorised entity under Budget Code: 0111062001 to be incorporated into the 2026 Appropriation Act
(ii) Direct the Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct & Public Petitions; and Appropriations, to conduct a comprehensive investigation surrounding the inclusion of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 Appropriation Act, with a view to determining (a) the process through which the sum of N1,302,978,784 was proposed, scrutinised , justified and approved during the appropriation process;
(b) the Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as the public officials or other persons, responsible for facilitating the
recognition and inclusion of the PFIPC in the national budget; and
(c) whether any funds have been released, committed or expended under the budgetary allocation, including whether any bank account has been established or operated with the budget line.
However the Senate as led by its Deputy President, Barau Jibrin who presided , refused to put the prayers for voice votes by Senators on the ground that as directed by President Bola Tinubu , the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission ( ICPC), is already investigating the scandal .
“Senator Kawu , you have tabled your motion and the Senate has noted it , but since the issue is being critically investigated by ICPC as directed by President Tinubu , the Senate will await the report of ICPC before taking any action on the controversial issue,” he said .
In a media chat with journalists covering the Senate after the plenary, Senator Kawu said though prayers of his motion, were not taken by the Senate but he felt satisfied that his motion was heard.
Institution Constitutionally
He said he deliberately came up with the motion through Order 9 and 9C of the Senate rules to prevent the leadership from stopping him on a matter that is very necessary for the National Assembly to address as the institution constitutionally saddled with budgetary appropriation .
“The controversial agency has Budget Code 0111062001, with a budgetary allocation of N1,302,978,784 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act considered and passed by the National Assembly which requires investigation for unraveling of those who facilitated or inserted it into the budget,” he stressed.
