The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has formally asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to clarify why more than N1.3 billion was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act for a presidential council that the government claims does not exist.
In a July 4, 2026, Freedom of Information request, SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare demanded detailed documentation regarding the N1,302,978,784 assigned to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. The group is pressing the National Assembly to utilize its oversight authority under the Constitution to probe the origin of this funding and identify who authorized the allocation for an entity lacking legal status.
SERAP is specifically seeking information on which legislative committees approved this budget and which officials defended it during the review process. They are also asking whether this item was part of the original executive budget proposal or if it was added by lawmakers. This push comes after the Presidency stated on July 1 that the council is not a creation of the Federal Government.
The organization argues that this discrepancy undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s fiscal management. SERAP asserted that the National Assembly has a fundamental duty to rigorously vet spending rather than simply approving it. The group has granted the legislative body seven days to provide the requested records, warning of potential legal action if transparency is not upheld.
