Senate Refuses to Probe PFIPC Scandal, Tells Presidency to Explain Agency’s Budget in 2026 Appropriation Act

Questions surrounding the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) took another twist on Tuesday after the Senate distanced itself from the growing scandal, insisting that the executive arm of government must explain how the agency secured a budget allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said the National Assembly would not intervene in the matter at this stage, describing the controversy as an executive issue that should be resolved by the Presidency.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Adaramodu disclosed that the Senate had not received any formal petition regarding the alleged existence of the PFIPC or the claim by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi that he serves as the agency’s Director-General.

He stressed that lawmakers would not interfere, particularly as the matter has become the subject of legal proceedings. According to him, the Senate’s role can only be activated if an official petition is submitted by an interested party.

“The allegations and counter-allegations over a fake agency and a fake director general are issues within the executive arm and should be addressed there,” Adaramodu said, adding that the dispute is essentially between the Office of the Chief of Staff and the individual claiming to head the agency.

The senator also rejected suggestions that the National Assembly was responsible for the controversy, explaining that lawmakers neither established the agency nor inserted its budget into the appropriation process. He added that the legislature is not responsible for conducting background checks on officials appointed by the executive branch.

The PFIPC controversy intensified after President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, denied any knowledge of the agency or its self-acclaimed Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.

Following the public outcry, President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit its findings within 30 days.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said preliminary findings indicated that the PFIPC was never legally established by the Federal Government and had no executive or presidential approval. The President also instructed investigators to identify everyone involved in the alleged scheme and ensure that anyone found culpable is prosecuted in accordance with the law.