The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the leadership of the National Assembly to make public all records of the allocation of over ₦1.3 billion to the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The organisation also urged the National Assembly to commence an immediate probe into the controversial budgetary item after the Presidency said the council does not exist.
In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated July 4, 2026 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas to release certified copies of all documents relating to the consideration and approval of the allocation of ₦1,302,978,784.
The rights group also called for the release of documents listing members of the National Assembly committees that considered the allocation and the identities and official titles of government officials who appeared before the committees to defend the budget proposal.
SERAP also asked for clarification on if the allocation was part of the Executive’s original Appropriation Bill or was inserted during the legislative budget process.
It demanded that the National Assembly disclose whether any member of parliament had questioned the legal status, establishment or operational mandate of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council during deliberations and what actions had been taken in response.
The organisation said the public denial by the Presidency of the existence of the council has raised serious concerns on the integrity of Nigeria’s appropriation process and the effectiveness of legislative oversight.
“These contradictory accounts are a serious concern for Nigeria’s appropriations process, legislative oversight, public financial management and accountability” SERAP said.
The organisation stated that the National Assembly has a constitutional mandate not only to approve budget proposals brought before it by the Executive but also to scrutinise and verify all appropriations thoroughly before authorising public expenditure.
“There is no one who has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law.” “The National Assembly should monitor the activities of the Executive and check the Presidency and agencies of government including in the appropriation process before and during by thoroughly examining Executive budget proposals,” the group said.
SERAP maintained that Nigerians have a constitutional right to know if public funds were allocated to an entity not lawfully established and if so how such allocation was approved.
The organisation said the documents being sought would help citizens to assess whether the National Assembly has discharged its constitutional duties under Sections 80, 81, 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution in scrutinising and approving the 2026 budget.
Failure to comply with the request within seven days would leave it with no option but to institute legal proceedings against the National Assembly in the public interest, it warned.
We would appreciate the recommended measures to be taken within 7 days of receipt and/or publication of this letter. “If we do not hear from you by then, SERAP will take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request.” The organisation said.
SERAP argued that the public release of the documents would boost confidence in the National Assembly, improve transparency in the management of public funds and enhance citizens’ ability to hold public institutions accountable.
It also referenced Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act, the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the internationally recognised Tshwane Principles on National Security and the Right to Information as legal frameworks supporting its demand for disclosure.
SERAP said the records sought relate to issues of exceptional public importance as they directly concern the integrity of Nigeria’s budget process, the lawful establishment and funding of public institutions and the proper use of public resources.
The call comes after the Presidency on July 1, 2026, issued a statement denying the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, even as it was reported to have been allocated over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
