Senate Backs Tinubu's Probe Into Alleged Fake Agency, Suspends Budget Inquiry
The Senate has suspended its inquiry into the N1.3 billion budget allocation for the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, citing no petition before it and deferring action until findings from the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission are released.
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The Senate has declined to pursue legislative inquiries into the alleged creation of a fake government agency, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), pending the outcome of an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), according to a report by This Day.
The Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, through its chairman Mr. Adaramodu, confirmed that no formal petition has been submitted to the chamber regarding the PFIPC or its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyi Mathew. This was reported by Vanguard News on July 7, 2026. The agency, however, appears in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budget allocation of N1.3 billion.
Despite the budgetary provision, Senate leadership has taken the position that the matter originated from the executive branch and falls outside immediate legislative purview without a formal complaint. The Senate is instead backing President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the ICPC to investigate the legitimacy of the agency. “The Senate awaits ICPC findings before taking action,” This Day reported, citing committee deliberations.
Opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have called for broader inclusion of political parties such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and New Democratic Coalition (NDC) in the investigative process, arguing that an independent and inclusive probe is necessary to ensure transparency. The ADC has maintained that only an independent inquiry would be acceptable, as noted in the This Day report.
For now, the Senate has suspended further legislative action on the budget line pending the ICPC’s findings, emphasizing procedural adherence and institutional boundaries between the executive and legislative arms of government.