Confirms agency has budget line in 2026 Appropriation Act
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The Senate has said it has no petition before it regarding the controversy surrounding the alleged existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), told journalists on Tuesday that the upper chamber had no basis to intervene since no petition had been submitted by any of the parties involved or by any concerned citizen.
He, however, acknowledged reports that the agency has a budget line in the 2026 Appropriation Act, adding that the controversy should be resolved by the executive arm of government, where the matter originated.
Adaramodu also noted that the issue is already the subject of litigation, stressing that the Senate would not comment on or interfere in matters before the courts.
“The allegations and counter-allegations over the agency and its purported Director-General are issues within the executive arm, which should resolve them, particularly between the Office of the Chief of Staff and the individual involved,” he said.
He maintained that the National Assembly neither created nor inserted the agency’s budget line into the appropriation process and that it is not the responsibility of the legislature to verify the appointments of heads of ministries, departments and agencies who do not require Senate confirmation.
“If the individual in question were a presidential appointee requiring Senate screening and confirmation, the matter might have had some connection with us,” he said.
According to him, the Senate would only consider the issue if a formal petition is submitted by any of the parties involved or any concerned Nigerian.
“If a petition is brought before the Senate on the existence or otherwise of the agency or its Director-General, it will be considered in line with legislative procedures,” Adaramodu added.
The controversy has generated public attention following conflicting claims over the status of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
While the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President reportedly disowned the agency and its purported Director-General, the individual at the centre of the dispute has insisted that the council is known to the Presidency. The matter has since become the subject of public debate and litigation.
