By Oluwatobi Omotosho
The Senate is expected to address the controversy surrounding the N1.3 billion allocation to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) when lawmakers resume plenary on Tuesday.
The development follows revelations that a forged appointment letter allegedly enabled Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew to operate the non-existent agency from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja for more than a year.
Multiple sources within the Presidency and the civil service said the alleged fraud succeeded because several government institutions failed to verify the authenticity of the appointment letter before recognising the agency.
According to the sources, the failure of due diligence at the Civil Service Headquarters, Budget Office and National Assembly allowed the council to gain official recognition and secure a budgetary allocation.
A National Assembly source disclosed that the N1.3 billion allocation was reportedly inserted into the 2026 Appropriation Act without officials of the council appearing before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service to defend the proposal.
The source said the allocation was included alongside other Presidency-related budget items, adding that Senate leadership is expected to clarify the issue when plenary resumes.
Presidency officials maintained that the alleged appointment letter was forged, stressing that appointments into government agencies are made only by the President and formal appointment letters are issued through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), not by the Chief of Staff.
They also alleged that Adeyemi exploited weaknesses in the system by using the forged document to obtain office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, a move that gave the agency an appearance of legitimacy.
According to the sources, the fake office, official letterhead and website enabled the council to interact with government agencies, private organisations and even foreign diplomatic missions before the alleged fraud was uncovered.
The Presidency said the matter first came to light after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) noticed that the council was performing functions similar to those assigned to the commission.
The issue was subsequently reported to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who reportedly denied any knowledge of the agency and alerted security agencies.
Adeyemi was later arrested and charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja on allegations bordering on forgery, impersonation and related offences.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations have demanded greater transparency over how the controversial allocation found its way into the national budget.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has requested certified documents relating to the approval of the N1.3 billion allocation, including records of budget defence proceedings and the identities of officials involved in the process.
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) also called for a full public investigation into the circumstances surrounding the allocation.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the controversy as another test of transparency in government, urging the Presidency to provide answers on how the agency emerged and secured public funding.
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and the Kwankwasiyya Movement called for a thorough investigation into everyone connected with the matter.
However, Deputy House of Representatives Spokesman, Philip Agbese, urged Nigerians to allow the court process to run its course.
Some senior lawyers also cautioned against drawing conclusions before investigations are concluded, while insisting that anyone found culpable should face the full weight of the law.
Adeyemi is expected to reappear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, alongside two other suspects who remain at large.
