ABUJA, Nigeria — The Senate on Wednesday rejected a motion seeking to launch a comprehensive legislative investigation into the budgetary allocations, operational framework, and swirling public controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The legislative push was initiated by the senator representing Kano South, Suleiman Kawu, who raised a point of order during the day's plenary session. Citing Order 9 and Rule 9(c) of the Senate Standing Orders (2026), Kawu presented a formal motion titled, "Urgent Need to Investigate the Budgetary Allocation, Operations and Controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) to safeguard the Integrity of the Senate and the Federal Government."
While arguing the merits of his proposal, Kawu pointed out that the public space has been inundated in recent weeks with serious allegations, controversies, accusations, and counter-accusations concerning the origins and financial transactions of the entity. He maintained that a thorough upper-chamber probe was necessary to provide transparency and maintain public trust in government institutions.
However, immediately following the presentation of the motion, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary session, intervened and ruled against opening the matter for a general floor debate. Jibrin justified his decision by noting that the executive arm of government had already stepped in to address the situation.
Jibrin informed the lawmakers that President Bola Tinubu had already directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to carry out a full forensic investigation into the council's affairs. Consequently, the Deputy Senate President urged the lawmakers to stand down the motion and allow the anti-graft agency to conclude its ongoing independent probe.
