By Peace Erewunmi

The Senate has declined a motion seeking a legislative investigation into the controversial ₦1.3 billion budget allocation to the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), opting instead to await the outcome of the investigation already ordered by President Bola Tinubu through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The motion was raised during plenary by Senator Suleiman Kawu Sumaila (APC, Kano South), who called for an urgent probe into how the PFIPC, which the Presidency has described as a non-existent agency, was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation of ₦1,302,978,784. He argued that the issue raised serious concerns about the integrity of the national budget process and the National Assembly’s oversight responsibilities.

According to the senator, the allocation reportedly comprised over ₦800 million for personnel costs, ₦200 million for overheads, and more than ₦300 million for capital expenditure. He urged the Senate to investigate how the budget proposal was prepared, scrutinised, justified, and eventually approved despite questions surrounding the legal existence of the council.

Sumaila also sought an inquiry into whether any public funds had already been released, committed, or spent under the budget line and whether any bank accounts had been opened or operated in connection with the allocation. He further requested that the Senate identify any ministries, departments, agencies, or public officials involved in facilitating the inclusion of the PFIPC in the national budget.

However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, ruled that the Senate should not proceed with a separate investigation at this stage. He explained that President Tinubu had already directed the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive probe into the matter and that the anti-corruption agency had commenced its investigation.

Jibrin said it would be more appropriate for the Senate to await the outcome of the ICPC’s findings before deciding whether further legislative action would be necessary. He noted that the executive investigation should be allowed to run its course before the upper chamber considers any additional oversight measures.

The PFIPC controversy has generated widespread public attention after the Presidency publicly stated that the council was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal basis. President Tinubu subsequently ordered the ICPC to investigate how the purported agency emerged, how it appeared in official government processes, and how it secured a budget allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The Senate’s decision means that, for now, there will be no separate parliamentary inquiry into the PFIPC allocation. Lawmakers indicated that any further action by the National Assembly will depend on the outcome of the ongoing ICPC investigation and any recommendations that may follow.