The Senate on Wednesday declined to open a comprehensive investigation into the budgetary allocation, operations and controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Naijaonpoint reports that the move was initiated by Senator Suleiman Kawu, representing Kano South, who raised a point of order during plenary.
Kawu, relying on Order 9 and Rule 9(c) of the Senate Standing Orders 2026, presented a motion titled, “Urgent Need to Investigate the Budgetary Allocation, Operations, and Controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) to safeguard the Integrity of the Senate and the Federal Government.”
He argued that the controversy surrounding the council posed a threat to the integrity of the Senate, the credibility of the National Assembly and the legislature’s constitutional powers of appropriation and oversight.
“The Senate notes with concern that, in recent weeks, the public space has been inundated with allegations, controversies, accusations and counter-accusations concerning an entity known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC),” Kawu said.
Senator demands answers over budget code
In his prayers, Kawu asked the Senate to condemn what he described as administrative lapses, internal collaborations or fraudulent schemes that allegedly enabled a purportedly non-existent or unauthorised entity under Budget Code 0111062001 to be included in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
He also urged the Senate to direct its Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, as well as Appropriations, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the inclusion of the PFIPC in the 2026 budget.
According to him, the probe should determine how the sum of ₦1,302,978,784 was proposed, scrutinised, justified and approved during the appropriation process.
He further sought an investigation into the ministries, departments, agencies, public officials or other persons responsible for facilitating the recognition and inclusion of the PFIPC in the national budget.
Kawu also asked that the probe establish whether any funds had been released, committed or expended under the allocation, including whether any bank account had been opened or operated using the budget line.
After the motion was presented, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary, ruled that the matter should not be debated.
Barau said the issue was already being handled by the executive arm of government.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu had directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the matter.
He urged the Senate to await the outcome of the executive investigation before taking further action.
