The Nigerian Senate has declined to launch a comprehensive investigation into the budgetary allocation, operations and controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), opting instead to await the outcome of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) investigation ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Senate on Wednesday rejected a motion seeking a full legislative investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), despite growing questions over how the purported agency secured a budgetary allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Lawmakers resolved to suspend further legislative action pending the outcome of the ICPC investigation recently directed by President Bola Tinubu.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu (APC, Kano South), who argued that the controversy surrounding the PFIPC had become a constitutional issue affecting the credibility of the National Assembly and Nigeria’s appropriation process.
Kawu sought a comprehensive investigation into how the purported agency was included in the 2026 budget with an allocation of approximately ₦1.303 billion, despite the Presidency’s insistence that the council was never established by the Federal Government.
He proposed that the Senate Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, as well as Appropriations, investigate the process through which the allocation was proposed, scrutinised and approved, determine whether any funds had been released, and identify officials connected to the budgetary provision.
Presiding over plenary, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin opposed the immediate probe, noting that President Tinubu had already directed the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the alleged agency.
Barau argued that it would be more appropriate for the Senate to await the anti-corruption agency’s findings before deciding whether further legislative action was necessary.
Following a voice vote, the majority of senators rejected Kawu’s motion, effectively shelving the proposed investigation for now.
The Senate’s decision contrasts with that of the House of Representatives, which recently resolved to investigate the inclusion of the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Lawmakers maintained that the Senate would carefully review the ICPC’s findings once the investigation is concluded before determining whether additional legislative measures are required.
The ICPC is expected to submit its report within the timeline directed by President Tinubu as investigations continue into the alleged operations of the purported council and the circumstances surrounding its appearance in the national budget.
The Senate’s decision to defer its own investigation keeps attention firmly on the ongoing ICPC probe into the PFIPC controversy. With questions still surrounding how the alleged agency appeared in the 2026 budget despite being disowned by the Presidency, the commission’s findings are expected to play a crucial role in determining whether further legislative or legal action will follow.