Tinubu Govt's Fake Agency Has Buhari-Era Roots, Says Budget Office

The Budget Office of the Federation has shed more light on the origins of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, a body recently declared fake by the government. According to the Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, the council's roots can be traced back to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, which was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 9, 2019. Yakubu made this revelation when he appeared before the House of Representatives in Abuja on Friday, July 24. He explained that by the time the 2026 budget was being prepared, official instruments had already been issued to the PFIPC by relevant institutions, including the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. As a result, the Budget Office allocated funds to the council based on these instruments, rather than any request from the council itself. The council had submitted a personnel estimate of N3.850 billion for the 2026 fiscal year, but the Budget Office reduced this figure to N802.978 million using the authorized establishment, approved recruitment waiver, and applicable public-service salary structure. However, the council's promoter, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, was unable to secure the necessary financial clearance, which prevented the council from receiving the approved funds. The PFIPC controversy came to light on June 11, 2026, when the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, declared the council fake and petitioned law enforcement agencies. The council's director-general, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, has since been arrested and is facing allegations of forgery, while Gbajabiamila has sued him for defamation over claims that he received N400 million from the council through a proxy.