SERAP tells Akpabio, Abbas to account for ₦1.3bn allocation to ‘fictitious’ presidential council

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Godswill Akpabio, the senate president and Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives to explain how more than ₦1.3 billion was allocated in the 2026 budget to a presidential council that the presidency has reportedly disowned.

In a Freedom of Information request dated July 4, the organisation urged the leadership of the National Assembly to release all documents relating to the approval of the allocation and disclose how the funding found its way into the 2026 Appropriation Act.

SERAP also asked the National Assembly to exercise its oversight powers by investigating the circumstances surrounding the budgetary provision and identifying individuals responsible for any irregularities connected with the allocation.

The group requested records showing the lawmakers and committees involved in considering the budget proposal, as well as the public officials who appeared before the committees to defend the allocation.

According to SERAP, Nigerians deserve to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was not legally established and, if so, how the allocation was approved.

The organisation said the controversy has raised fresh concerns about transparency, legislative oversight and accountability in the management of public funds.

It maintained that the National Assembly has a constitutional duty to thoroughly scrutinise budget proposals before approving government expenditure, stressing that lawmakers must ensure that every allocation is backed by law and serves a legitimate public purpose.

SERAP further sought clarification on whether the allocation formed part of the Executive’s original budget proposal or was introduced during the appropriation process.

The organisation warned that it would consider legal action if the requested information is not provided within seven days, insisting that public institutions must remain accountable to Nigerians.

The demand follows reports that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was allocated over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 budget despite claims by the Presidency that the council was never created by the Federal Government.

SERAP argued that making the requested documents public would strengthen confidence in the country’s budget process, promote transparency and enable citizens to hold public officials accountable for the use of public resources.