Nigeria's N1.3bn 'Ghost Agency' Budget Sparks Political Firestorm, National Assembly Divided

A controversial N1.3 billion budget allocation for a supposed "ghost" agency has ignited a political firestorm in Nigeria, dividing the National Assembly and drawing criticism from opposition figures.

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I am willing and ready to help security agencies or any panel set up by Mr. President to unravel the truth. In fact, any moment from now, I will go to the DSS or the police to submit all the documents I have to help them investigate and look into this matter.

The Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the Presidency insists is fraudulent and non-existent, somehow secured the substantial funding in the 2026 budget. This has prompted President Bola Tinubu to order a 30-day investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

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They should authenticate them. They should verify them. They should unravel the truth.

Adding to the controversy, the Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has declared his willingness to cooperate with security agencies. Speaking from hiding, Adeyemi stated he would submit all relevant documents to the DSS or police. He expressed confusion over how an agency the Presidency disowned could appear in the national budget, especially as he claims he was in detention for 23 days during the budget's preparation and did not defend it.

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When the Presidency said the agency does not exist, I wondered how an agency that found its way into the national budget could suddenly be described as fake.

However, the National Assembly is split on how to proceed. The House of Representatives has formed an ad hoc committee to investigate the budget insertion. In contrast, the Senate has blocked a parallel legislative inquiry, opting to wait for the outcome of the executive-led probe. This situation has drawn sharp criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who argue that President Tinubu cannot act as both judge and jury in a scandal potentially involving his top officials.

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I was in detention for 23 days during the period the budget was being prepared. I did not prepare or defend any budget, and nobody went to defend it on my behalf. That is why I am confused about how the agency found its way into the national budget.