The Senate is expected to take up the controversy surrounding the N1.3 billion allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) when lawmakers return from recess on Tuesday.
The planned discussion follows allegations that the council, which the Federal Government says was never lawfully established, found its way into the 2026 Appropriation Act through irregular processes.
Sources familiar with the matter said the agency allegedly operated for more than a year after its promoter, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, reportedly used a forged appointment letter bearing the fake signature of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to obtain office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
The document was reportedly accepted without proper verification by officials at the Civil Service Headquarters, allowing the council to operate with the appearance of a recognised government institution.
With an office, official letterheads and a website, the organisation reportedly carried out activities that convinced many people it had government backing.
Presidency and civil service officials familiar with the case said the forged appointment letter became the foundation that allowed the scheme to spread across different government institutions. They explained that appointments to agencies under the Presidency are made by the President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not by the Chief of Staff.
According to the officials, several agencies, including the Budget Office, the House of Representatives and the Civil Service Headquarters, failed to detect the irregularities before the council became active.
Investigations also revealed that the N1.3 billion budget allocation was approved even though no representative of the council reportedly appeared before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service to defend the proposal. A source at the National Assembly said the allocation was included alongside other Presidency-related budget items without undergoing detailed scrutiny.
Officials said concerns first surfaced after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission noticed that the council was carrying out activities that overlapped with its responsibilities. The matter was later brought to the attention of the Chief of Staff, who reportedly denied any connection with the agency and alerted security authorities.
The Department of State Services subsequently began investigating the matter, leading to Adeyemi’s arrest and prosecution. Although the office allocated to the council at the Federal Secretariat was later sealed and reassigned, sources claimed the suspect continued operating elsewhere.
Another official said the suspect allegedly secured legitimacy through the forged documents, making it easier to obtain an office, interact with public institutions and seek budgetary support.
The controversy has attracted reactions from civil society groups and opposition figures, many of whom have demanded a thorough investigation into how the agency appeared in the national budget.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, requested documents relating to the budget approval process. The organisation wants details of the committees that considered the allocation, the officials who defended it and whether the provision originated from the executive proposal or was inserted during legislative consideration.
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda also called for a public inquiry into the matter, urging authorities to disclose who introduced the budget allocation and whether any public funds had already been released.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also criticised the controversy, urging the Federal Government to provide a full explanation of how the agency emerged and who approved its activities.
The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party described the development as evidence of weaknesses within government institutions, while the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights called for an independent investigation into the allegations.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement also demanded answers over how a council that allegedly lacked legal backing received a budget allocation, asking authorities to identify everyone involved in processing the documents.
Deputy House of Representatives spokesman Philip Agbese urged Nigerians to allow the legal process to continue, saying the courts would eventually establish the facts surrounding the controversy.
Senior lawyers who commented on the case said allegations alone were not enough to prosecute public officials without evidence. They maintained that investigators should thoroughly examine the roles played by everyone connected with the matter before deciding on further legal action.
Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, alongside two other suspects who remain at large. Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to review the controversy as pressure grows for full disclosure of how the agency secured official recognition and a place in the 2026 budget.