The Senate has declined to open a fresh investigation into the controversial ₦1.3 billion budget allocation to the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, saying it will await the outcome of the ongoing probe by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ordered by President Bola Tinubu.

The issue came up during plenary after Senator Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South, raised concerns over the inclusion of the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite the Presidency's insistence that the agency does not exist.

The lawmaker argued that the allocation, which includes over ₦800 million for personnel, more than ₦200 million for overhead costs and over ₦300 million for capital expenditure, raises serious questions about the credibility of Nigeria's budget process.

He called on the Senate Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, and Appropriations to investigate how the allocation was proposed, scrutinized and approved, and to determine whether any funds had been released or spent.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary, said President Bola Tinubu had already directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the matter.

He maintained that the Senate should allow the anti-graft agency to conclude its investigation before considering any further legislative action.

The controversy follows Tuesday's directive by President Tinubu for a comprehensive investigation into the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which the Presidency says was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal backing.