Dr. Umar Yakubu, Executive Director of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity, has said the controversy surrounding the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has exposed serious weaknesses in Nigeria’s accountability and oversight systems.
Speaking during an interview, Yakubu argued that public attention should move beyond the individuals involved and focus on the institutional failures that allowed the alleged agency to operate.
The Presidency had on June 11, 2026, disowned the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, stating that no such agency exists under the current administration and that no appointments were made to represent it.
Yakubu questioned how an agency allegedly received funding, secured a budget allocation, and reportedly opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria without being detected by oversight institutions.
He said the situation raises concerns about the roles of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Office of the Auditor General, and other accountability agencies.
According to him, the Presidency’s statement denying the existence of the agency inadvertently highlighted major gaps in the government’s internal monitoring systems.
Yakubu also questioned how the alleged agency was able to operate from the Federal Secretariat and exchange official correspondence with the National Assembly without triggering red flags from multiple government institutions.
He warned that prosecuting individuals alone would not address the broader problem if systemic weaknesses remain unresolved, urging the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight responsibilities.
On electoral reforms, Yakubu described the Electoral Act as a strong legal framework but said political parties and lawyers have continued to exploit loopholes to advance partisan interests, resulting in frequent legal disputes over candidate selection.
Commenting on the reported withdrawal of United States troops from joint counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria, Yakubu said the development underscores the need for Nigeria to strengthen its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
He also called for greater efforts to disrupt terrorist financing through improved domestic coordination and stronger international cooperation.
