The Senate says it will not intervene in the controversy surrounding the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) unless a formal petition is tendered before it.
Yemi Adaramodu, Senate spokesperson, relayed this to
journalists after plenary on Tuesday.
The controversy centres on the existence of the PFIPC and
claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi, who describes himself as the agency’s
director-general, that Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president,
demanded bribes in connection with his appointment and the agency’s budget.
The presidency has maintained that the PFIPC does not exist,
with the matter now before a court.
Adaramodu said the senate has not received a petition from
the parties involved or from elsewhere to warrant legislative intervention.
“The allegations and counter-allegations over fake agency
and fake director-general are all within the executive, which should be sorted
out by it, specifically between the office of the chief of staff and the
alleged fake DG,” he said.
He acknowledged that the alleged agency had a budget line in
the 2026 Appropriation Act which he said originated from the executive arm of
government.
Adaramodu added that the senate would not comment on the
controversy because it is already the subject of litigation.
“The budget line being referred to was not created or
inserted by the national assembly, and it is not the duty of the senate or the
house of representatives to carry out security checks on those supposedly
appointed to head the various MDAs,” he said.
The lawmaker added that the situation would have been
different if Adeyemi had been a presidential nominee requiring senate
confirmation.
“If the alleged fake DG were to be one of the presidential
appointees screened and confirmed by the senate, the controversy might have
been perceived to be somewhat linked to us,” he said.
Adaramodu, however, said the senate would consider the
matter if a formal petition were submitted.
“However, if a petition is sent to the senate by any of the feuding parties or any concerned Nigerian on the existence or non-existence of the agency or DG, it would be legislatively looked into,” he added.
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