By Kevin Ezih
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to account for the inclusion of more than ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 budget for a presidential council the Presidency says does not exist.
In a Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated July 4, 2026, SERAP asked the leadership of the National Assembly to release certified records relating to the approval of the ₦1,302,978,784 allocated to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), also identified in the Appropriation Act as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The organisation also urged both chambers of the National Assembly to exercise their constitutional oversight powers by investigating how the allocation was approved and identifying any officials responsible for alleged irregularities in the budgeting process.
As part of its request, SERAP demanded documents showing the lawmakers and legislative committees involved in considering the allocation, as well as details of the government officials who defended the proposed funding during budget deliberations.
It also requested clarification on whether the allocation originated from the Executive’s 2026 Appropriation Bill or was introduced during legislative consideration. In addition, the group wants to know whether any questions were raised about the legal status or mandate of the council before the budget was passed.
SERAP said its request followed conflicting accounts regarding the existence of the council. While the 2026 Appropriation Act provides over ₦1.3 billion for the PFIPC, the Presidency has publicly stated that the agency was never created and has no legal existence.
According to the organisation, the contradiction raises concerns about transparency, legislative oversight and accountability in Nigeria’s budget process. It argued that citizens deserve to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was not lawfully established and how such an allocation was approved.
SERAP maintained that making the requested documents public would allow Nigerians to assess whether the National Assembly fulfilled its constitutional responsibility of properly scrutinising budget proposals before authorising government spending.
The rights group gave the National Assembly seven days to provide the requested information, warning that it would pursue legal action under the Freedom of Information Act if the records are not released within the stipulated period.
SERAP further stated that greater openness in the matter would strengthen public confidence in the legislature and reinforce transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
The organisation also cited the Freedom of Information Act, the 1999 Constitution and Nigeria’s international obligations on access to information, arguing that public institutions have a duty to disclose information of significant public interest, particularly where questions have been raised over the use of public funds.
