The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to explain how over ₦1.3 billion was allocated in the 2026 Appropriation Act to a presidential council that the Presidency has described as non-existent.
In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated July 4, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP demanded certified copies of all documents relating to the approval of the ₦1,302,978,784 allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), also referred to in the budget as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The organisation also urged the leadership of the National Assembly to immediately invoke its investigative powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to probe the circumstances surrounding the allocation and identify those responsible for any irregularities.
SERAP further requested records identifying the lawmakers and committees that considered and approved the allocation, as well as the public officials who appeared before the committees to defend the proposed funding.
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It also asked the National Assembly to clarify whether the allocation formed part of the Executive’s original 2026 Appropriation Bill or was inserted during the legislative process. The group also sought to know whether any lawmaker questioned the legal status or operational mandate of the council before the budget was passed.
According to SERAP, the request became necessary following conflicting claims over the existence of the council.
SERAP noted that while the 2026 Appropriation Act reportedly earmarked more than ₦1.3 billion for the PFIPC/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, the Presidency has since publicly stated that the body was never established by the Federal Government and is fictitious.
The rights group said the contradiction raises serious concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s budget process, legislative oversight, public financial management and accountability.
“Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law,” SERAP said, stressing that the National Assembly has a constitutional duty not only to approve budgets but also to thoroughly scrutinise Executive proposals before authorising public spending.
It argued that Nigerians have a right to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was not lawfully established and, if so, how the allocation found its way into the national budget.
According to the organisation, making the requested documents public would enable citizens to determine whether the National Assembly fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities in scrutinising and approving the allocation.
SERAP warned that if the requested information is not provided within seven days of receipt or publication of the FoI request, it would initiate legal proceedings to compel the National Assembly to disclose the records.
The organisation maintained that releasing the documents would strengthen public confidence in the credibility of the National Assembly, enhance transparency in the appropriations process and promote accountability in the management of public funds.
SERAP also cited the Freedom of Information Act, the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights instruments, arguing that public institutions are required to proactively disclose information of significant public interest, particularly where allegations of financial impropriety or misuse of public resources have arisen.
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