Former Special Adviser on Media and Affairs to Vice President Namadi Sambo, Umar Sani, has called for an independent, multi-stakeholder investigation into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, which secured a N1.3 billion line item in the 2026 national budget.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm hosted by Bukola Koka, Sani questioned how the alleged self-styled Director-General, Mr. Adeyemi, was able to secure and operate from an office at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja without internal backing or official authorization.
Key Highlights from Umar Sani’s Analysis
1. "Nobody Just Walks into the Secretariat and Sits Down"
Sani dismissed claims by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation that the office space was never officially allocated to Adeyemi, asserting that administrative processes in government rarely work in isolation:
- Internal Backing: Sani insisted that Adeyemi could not have set up operations inside the Federal Secretariat without explicit verbal or written directives from high-ranking officials within the presidency, such as the Office of the Chief of Staff or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
- Bureaucratic Cover-Ups: He noted that when scandals erupt, government agencies systematically deny involvement to avoid legal and administrative accountability.
"Nobody can just go to the Federal Secretariat, select an office, enter, and begin to sit in that office without authorization — whether official or verbal. Everybody is trying to step back because the presidency declared the agency fake." — Umar Sani
2. Skepticism Over ICPC & House of Reps Probes
Evaluating the
ongoing investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the House of Representatives,
Sani expressed doubts about their neutrality:
- Call for
Independent Panel: He argued that internal executive probes risk
presidential interference or manipulation. Instead, he advocated for an
unbiased panel comprising civil society organizations and independent
experts to restore public trust.
- Legislative Influence: Sani
observed that while the House of Representatives has initiated an
inquiry, legislative oversight can often be compromised by political
horse-trading ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
3. Budget Padding & "Curious" Allocations
Addressing
wider concerns around the 2026 Appropriation Act—including N22.15
billion slated for 106 royal palaces and N8.05 billion for places of
worship flagged by Tracka—Sani explained the friction between executive
planning and legislative insertions:
- Legislative Extractions
vs. Implementation: Sani noted that while lawmakers frequently insert
constituency projects into executive budget proposals, the executive
often manages these friction points by simply withholding fund releases
for non-priority line items.
- 12.8 Trillion Service-Wide Vote:
Commenting on allegations by opposition leaders regarding concealed
funds under service-wide votes, Sani stated that public scrutiny of open
budget line items remains essential for fiscal transparency.
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