Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to explain how the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council found its way into the country’s budget despite the Presidency’s insistence that no such agency exists.
Falana, who spoke on Friday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, said the Presidency’s explanation of the controversy surrounding the alleged council failed to answer key questions raised by Nigerians.
He said, “Unfortunately, I think there is more to this matter than meets the eye. Nigerians have not been given the full facts. I’ve read Mr. Bayo Onanuga speaking for the Presidency. To say it very mildly, the country has been exposed to unprecedented ridicule. The government must appreciate that they are dealing with civilised people, so the government must come out more clearly on this matter.”
The senior advocate questioned how an agency allegedly not established by law could appear in the country’s appropriation law and operate within government institutions.
“How did an agency that is not created by law find its way into the Appropriation Act of Nigeria? How did that body get an office in the Federal Secretariat? How did that body successfully open accounts in the Central Bank of Nigeria? How did the Head of Service post about 300 staff to that office?” he asked.
Falana argued that the issue went beyond the criminal prosecution of the alleged promoter of the council, insisting that relevant government institutions must account for their roles in the controversy.
According to him, the National Assembly also owes Nigerians an explanation over the alleged inclusion of the council in the 2026 budget.
“You cannot have an agency that is not created by law in the budget of a country. You cannot put an agency that is unknown to law in the Appropriation Act. The National Assembly members will have to explain who authorised them to insert the body into the budget,” he said.
He further maintained that appropriation bills originate from the Executive under Section 81 of the Constitution, making it necessary for the Federal Government to clarify how the alleged agency appeared in the budget.
Describing the Presidency’s explanation as inadequate, Falana said, “If this is a conman that can con the Presidency into issuing a letter of appointment, con the Central Bank into opening accounts, con the National Assembly into inserting the agency into the budget, I think the government is kidding.”
The senior lawyer also called for an independent investigation into the alleged role of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, urging him to step aside while the probe lasts.
“The government has a duty to ask Mr. Gbajabiamila to step aside to allow for a full investigation in the interest of the country and even in his own interest,” he said.
Falana stressed that although the criminal trial of the alleged promoter of the council should continue, it would not address broader questions surrounding the alleged operations of the agency.
“The law must be allowed to take its course. But there are issues that are not going to come up in court. The court is not going to tell us who opened an account in the Central Bank. The court is not going to tell us who inserted the agency into the budget or why it was signed by the President,” he added.
He urged the Federal Government to reopen its inquiry into the matter and involve all relevant agencies in what he described as a transparent investigation.
“The government will have to revisit the matter, go back to the drawing board and issue another statement that will be acceptable to Nigerians by assuring them that there is no cover-up in this matter,” Falana said.
The controversy began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President distanced itself from the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and its purported Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, describing the council as non-existent.
However, the issue escalated after documents from the 2026 Appropriation Act reportedly showed a budgetary allocation of about ₦1.3bn to an entity listed as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, raising questions about how the agency was captured in the federal budget despite the Presidency’s denial of its existence.
