A coalition of civil society organisations has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate alleged 2026 budget flaws by federal government and the execution of projects contained in the Appropriation Act.
The petition, signed by the Convener, Buna Olaitan, and General Secretary, Wyseman Ajayi, was presented to journalists at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday.
Operating under the umbrella of the Coalition of Civil Society in Nigeria, the group raised serious concerns over the inclusion of “questionable agencies” in the budget.
ALSO READ: Court forfeits 431 phones linked to Chinese-Nigerian cyber-fraud operation
It also flagged allocations to projects that fall outside the statutory mandates of the beneficiary government agencies, alongside the alleged unauthorized relocation or substitution of federal projects.
To address these discrepancies, the coalition called for a comprehensive and independent forensic investigation.
This process, they argued, must involve a thorough review of original appropriation documents, legislative committee records, project codes, procurement files, payment tracks, and physical project locations.
A major highlight of the petition is a reported N1.3 billion allocation to the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). According to the coalition, the legal status of the council has already been the subject of a prior ICPC investigation.
The group urged the anti-graft commission to establish how this specific provision slipped into the 2026 Appropriation Act, demanding accountability from the officials involved in proposing, reviewing, and approving the allocation.
Reflecting on the previous ICPC probe into the PFIPC, the coalition noted that investigators had identified severe weaknesses in federal verification and oversight mechanisms.
That earlier inquiry recommended the prosecution of the alleged operator of the purported agency, alongside administrative sanctions for public officers whose actions or negligence facilitated its operations.
The coalition specifically requested the ICPC to invite the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations,
Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, who represents Ogun West Senatorial District, for questioning.
The group argued that as the chairman of the budget appropriation committee, Senator Adeola’s role is critical in the budgetary process.
The group stated that he should therefore be required to provide all relevant documents connected to the disputed appropriations and project locations.
However, the civil society group emphasised that the probe should not be restricted to the lawmaker.
They insisted on a sweeping investigation encompassing all public officers, legislative officials, contractors, consultants, and intermediaries connected to the questionable allocations.
The coalition maintained that its petition is aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s federal budgetary framework, urging the ICPC to rely heavily on documentary, administrative, and financial evidence to determine criminal culpability.
Reacting previously to similar petitions concerning budget processes under his watch as the Chairman of the Budget Appropriation Committee, Senator Adeola (popularly known as Yayi) has strongly defended his integrity, challenging the ICPC to investigate and prosecute him if any wrongdoing or fraudulent practice is discovered.
The lawmaker has dismissed the wave of petitions as politically motivated maneuvers ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
Adeola is the Ogun State gubernatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections,
Furthermore, legislative reviews backed by the Senate Press Corps have also vindicated the Appropriations Committee on the PFIPC issue, establishing that the controversial N1.3 billion allocation was entirely external to the budgetary additions introduced by the National Assembly.
According to committee findings, the provision was part of the original framework submitted by the Executive arm, which is currently being contested in court.