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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the leadership of the National Assembly to disclose all records relating to 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 launch an immediate investigation into the controversial budgetary provision following the Presidency’s declaration that 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 ₦1,302,978,784 allocation.
The rights group further requested the disclosure of records identifying members of the National Assembly committees that considered the allocation, as well as the names and official designations of government officials who appeared before the committees to defend the budget proposal.
SERAP also sought clarification on whether the allocation was contained in the Executive’s original Appropriation Bill or was introduced during the legislative budget process.
It asked the National Assembly to disclose whether any lawmaker questioned the legal status, establishment or operational mandate of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council during deliberations and what actions were taken in response.
According to the organisation, the Presidency’s public denial of the existence of the council has raised serious concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s appropriation process and the effectiveness of legislative oversight.
“These conflicting accounts raise serious concerns regarding the integrity of Nigeria’s appropriations process, legislative oversight, public financial management and accountability,” SERAP stated.
The organisation argued that the National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility not only to approve budget proposals submitted by the Executive but also to thoroughly scrutinise and verify all appropriations before authorising public expenditure.
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“Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. The National Assembly ought to keep an eye on what the Executive is doing and to keep the Presidency and agencies of government in check, including before and during the appropriation process by thoroughly scrutinising Executive budget proposals,” the group said.
SERAP maintained that Nigerians have a constitutional right to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was not lawfully established and, if so, how such an allocation was approved.
The organisation said the requested documents would enable citizens to determine whether the National Assembly fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities under Sections 80, 81, 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution in scrutinising and approving the 2026 budget.
It warned that 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.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request,” the organisation stated.
SERAP argued that making the documents public would strengthen confidence in the National Assembly, improve transparency in the management of public funds and enhance citizens’ ability to hold public institutions accountable.
The organisation also cited 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 globally recognised Tshwane Principles on National Security and the Right to Information as legal frameworks supporting its demand for disclosure.
According to SERAP, the records sought concern issues of exceptional public importance because they relate directly to the integrity of Nigeria’s budget process, the lawful establishment and funding of public institutions, and the proper use of public resources.
The call follows a statement issued by the Presidency on July 1, 2026, denying the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, despite its reported allocation of over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
