The Senate has rejected a motion seeking to investigate the inclusion of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 budget, where ₦1.3 billion was appropriated for the entity.
The motion, sponsored by Senator Kawu Sumaila, called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the allocation, arguing that the inclusion of what he described as an unauthorised or non-existent agency undermines the credibility of the appropriation process and erodes public confidence in the National Assembly.
Senator Sumaila said the Senate could not distance itself from the controversy since it ultimately approved the budget. He urged the upper chamber to mandate its Committees on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, and Appropriations to investigate how the allocation was proposed and approved.
However, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, opposed the motion, noting that President Bola Tinubu had already directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter.
According to him, the Senate should await the outcome of the ICPC investigation before deciding on any further legislative action. The motion was subsequently rejected by a voice vote.
The decision comes a day after Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, defended the National Assembly’s role in the budgetary allocation, insisting that lawmakers neither recommended nor inserted the ₦1.3 billion provision and that the legislature is not constitutionally responsible for conducting security checks on individuals appointed to head government agencies.
The Senate’s decision contrasts with that of the House of Representatives, which recently adopted a motion to investigate the controversial allocation.
