The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) has revealed that the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the Presidency described as a fake agency, originated from an initiative established during the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The clarification was made by the Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr Tanimu Yakubu, during an appearance before members of the House of Representatives in Abuja, where he explained how the council was captured in the 2026 budget.
The PFIPC is currently being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) following allegations surrounding its legitimacy, funding and operations.
Yakubu said the council’s institutional origin was linked to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), inaugurated by Buhari on October 9, 2019.
He explained that the PFIPC was not included in the 2026 budget simply because it requested funding, but because relevant government institutions had issued official approvals before the budget preparation process commenced.
According to him, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation assigned an administrative code to the council, while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved an authorised establishment structure and recruitment waiver.
Yakubu said the Budget Office did not create the council, assign its administrative code, approve its establishment or grant its recruitment waiver, adding that the office only assessed the financial implications of official documents submitted to it.
“The Budget Office did not create the Council. It did not assign its code. It did not approve its establishment. It did not grant its recruitment waiver. It received official instruments and did what the law required of it: it measured their fiscal effect,” he said.
The Director-General said the council initially submitted a personnel estimate of N3.850 billion for the 2026 fiscal year, but the figure was not adopted by the Budget Office.
He explained that the office carried out an independent assessment using the authorised establishment, approved recruitment waiver, applicable public service salary structure and existing costing methodology.
The assessment produced a personnel allocation of N802.978 million, which was included in the Executive Budget proposal and later approved.
Yakubu stressed that the allocation did not mean the council had access to the money, explaining that personnel provisions in government budgets are not paid as lump sums to agencies.
He said salaries are only processed after legal requirements have been fulfilled and verified employees have been enrolled on the Federal Government payroll.
“The institution does not receive the annual personnel provision as cash under its control. Even in a lawful process, the money would have gone over twelve months to individual employees,” he said.
Yakubu further explained that PFIPC could not access the approved personnel allocation because it did not obtain Financial Clearance.
He described Financial Clearance as the confirmation that fiscal and regulatory conditions for recruitment and payroll activation have been satisfied.
“Until it is issued, the figure remains in the budget. It does not create staff. It does not open payroll. It does not produce salary,” he said.
He added that although the 2026 Appropriation Bill received Presidential Assent on March 31, 2026, the council still required confirmation from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission that its staffing and remuneration arrangements complied with approved government standards.
According to him, the absence of Financial Clearance meant there was no lawful recruitment, no payroll enrolment and no salary payment linked to the council.
“There was no Financial Clearance. There was no lawful recruitment. There was no payroll record created. No salary became due. Not one kobo of the personnel provision could lawfully have been drawn. Not one kobo was drawn,” Yakubu said.
The PFIPC controversy became public on June 11, 2026, after the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, declared the council fake and referred the matter to law enforcement agencies.
At a press conference on June 26, PFIPC Director-General Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi challenged the Presidency’s position and alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to facilitate his appointment.
Gbajabiamila denied the allegations and filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi.
Adeyemi was later arrested by the police over allegations connected to the PFIPC controversy and alleged forgery.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi claimed he personally approached officials of the Budget Office to seek the inclusion of the council in the federal budget.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also confirmed that it opened two domiciliary accounts linked to the PFIPC on the instruction of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The accounts, one denominated in United States dollars and the other in British pounds sterling, were never funded or operated, according to the apex bank.
