The Budget Office of the Federation has said the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), currently under probe, originated from a structure created during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, made the clarification after appearing before the House of Representatives in Abuja.

Yakubu explained that PFIPC evolved from the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), inaugurated on October 9, 2019, under Buhari. He said that before the 2026 budget preparation, relevant government institutions had already issued official instruments recognizing the body.

According to him, the Budget Office did not create or independently include the council in the budget but acted on documentation received from authorized agencies, including the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service.

The Budget Office boss also disclosed that the council initially proposed ₦3.85 billion for personnel costs in 2026, but the figure was rejected and reduced to ₦802.98 million after an independent review based on approved staffing structures and salary frameworks.

Yakubu added that the council could not access the funds because it failed to secure Financial Clearance, a mandatory requirement for recruitment, payroll enrollment and salary payments.

He noted that the 2026 Appropriation Act only became law after presidential assent on March 31, 2026, while additional approval from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission was still pending.

He stressed that no recruitment took place, no payroll was created and no salaries were paid.

The PFIPC is currently under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), while the Presidency has distanced itself from the council.