A fresh controversy has erupted over Nigeria’s 2026 Appropriation Act after a council the Presidency says does not exist was found to have received ₦1.302 billion in the approved federal budget.

The controversy centres on the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), also referred to in the budget as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. Earlier in June, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, publicly disowned the council, stating that no such government agency exists and warning the public not to deal with anyone claiming to represent it.

However, a review of the 2026 budget shows that the council is listed under the Presidency with a total allocation of ₦1,302,978,784. The allocation is broken down into ₦802.98 million for personnel costs, ₦200 million for overhead, and ₦300 million for capital expenditure.

The issue became more complicated after a man identified as Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who claims to be the council’s Director-General, rejected the Presidency’s position. At a press conference in Abuja, he alleged that the council has official records, maintains bank accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, occupies office space in the Federal Secretariat, and received approval to recruit more than 300 staff from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. These claims have not been independently verified.

Adeyemi also made serious allegations against Gbajabiamila, claiming he paid hundreds of millions of naira to facilitate his appointment and that demands were made for part of the agency’s proposed take-off funds. The Presidency has strongly denied these allegations, describing Adeyemi as an impostor and insisting that neither the agency nor his appointment exists. The Presidency also said security agencies, including the police and the DSS, have been notified to investigate the matter.

Responding to the growing public outcry, the Presidency said the appearance of the council in the budget does not validate its existence and maintained that the matter is linked to alleged forgery and impersonation currently under investigation. It has also cleared Gbajabiamila of any wrongdoing.

The revelation has sparked widespread concerns about Nigeria’s budget process, with many Nigerians questioning how a body the Presidency says does not exist could be listed in the national budget and receive more than ₦1.3 billion in public funds. Civil society groups and public affairs analysts have called for a thorough investigation to determine who inserted the budget provision, whether any funds have been released, and whether public officials should be held accountable.

As of now, no court has established that any crime has been committed, and investigations into the matter are ongoing.