State House Counters Accountant-General, Says No Budget Code Requested for PFIPC

State House denied requesting PFIPC budget code, describing alleged correspondence as fake and distancing itself from the council.

The State House has denied allegations that it requested the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to create a budget code for the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting it had no knowledge of the council before reports emerged in the media.

The clarification was made on Thursday by the Director of Administration at the State House, Abdulkadri Idris, during his appearance before the House of Representatives committee investigating the controversial N1.3 billion allocation included for the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Representing the Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, Idris told lawmakers that the Presidency neither initiated nor received any correspondence relating to the creation of a budget code for the council.

According to him, the State House never engaged with the PFIPC and only became aware of its existence after reports surfaced publicly.

His testimony contradicted earlier claims by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, who had informed the committee on July 27 that his office received a request from the State House to generate a budget code for the PFIPC. Ogunjimi, however, maintained that the document was later discovered to be forged after the code had already been created.

Addressing the committee, Idris dismissed the authenticity of a letter allegedly signed by one Akanbi Adewale, identified as Director of Administration and Support Services at the State House.

He explained that no official by that name had ever served as Director of Administration and that the State House has no department known as the Directorate of Administration and Support Services.

To support his position, Idris said he had submitted official records to both the Nigeria Police Cybercrime Centre and the House committee, including a complete list of all Directors of Administration who had served at the State House since 2003.

He also clarified that appointments of political officeholders are processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation rather than the State House administration.

Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi said the investigation would continue with appearances by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Accountant-General of the Federation and officials of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation before the committee concludes its report next week.