PFIPC Saga: Lawmakers Won’t Intervene Without petition…. Spokesperson

Even with a budget line in the 2026 Appropriation Act which originated from the executive arm of government, Nigerian Senate says it will not probe the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) without a formal petition.

The senate says it will not intervene in the controversy surrounding the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) unless a formal petition is tendered before it.

Yemi Adaramodu, senate spokesperson, relayed this to journalists after plenary on Tuesday.

The controversy centres on the existence of the PFIPC and claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi, who describes himself as the agency’s director-general, that Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president, demanded bribes in connection with his appointment and the agency’s budget.

The presidency has maintained that the PFIPC does not exist, with the matter now before a court.

Adaramodu said the senate has not received a petition from the parties involved or from elsewhere to warrant legislative intervention.

“The allegations and counter-allegations over fake agency and fake director-general are all within the executive, which should be sorted out by it, specifically between the office of the chief of staff and the alleged fake DG,” he said.

He acknowledged that the alleged agency had a budget line in the 2026 Appropriation Act which he said originated from the executive arm of government.

Adaramodu added that the senate would not comment on the controversy because it is already the subject of litigation.

“The budget line being referred to was not created or inserted by the national assembly, and it is not the duty of the senate or the house of representatives to carry out security checks on those supposedly appointed to head the various MDAs,” he said.

The lawmaker added that the situation would have been different if Adeyemi had been a presidential nominee requiring senate confirmation.

“If the alleged fake DG were to be one of the presidential appointees screened and confirmed by the senate, the controversy might have been perceived to be somewhat linked to us,” he said.