Dozens of protesters from Kano State marched to the National Assembly on Tuesday to press the Senate for the swift screening and confirmation of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The demonstrators who arrived in Kano Line-branded and coastal buses — carried placards reading “Tinubu’s nomination should be respected” and “Akpabio and Barau must stop undermining President Tinubu.” Their action followed what they described as an unexplained delay by the Upper Chamber to act on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s October 7 nomination.
Addressing reporters during the protest, Ahmed I. Suleiman, the group’s leader, said the Senate had “no justification” for withholding confirmation after the Senate Committee on Power had screened and recommended Ramat. He delivered a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio urging urgent action and copied it to President Tinubu, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
Senate spokesman Senator Yemi Adaramodu defended the Upper Chamber’s pause, saying several petitions had been filed against the nominee and that the Senate is “statutorily bound to pause consideration of any nominee facing serious public petitions or controversies.” He also rejected allegations that the leadership had accepted a $10 million bribe to block the confirmation, calling such claims “baseless.”
The protesters argued Ramat is well qualified for the NERC role. “Engr. Abdullahi has, over the past decade, served diligently and honorably in various capacities… He possesses the requisite academic and professional qualifications,” the group’s statement read. They warned that further delay could harm public confidence in the confirmation process and discourage qualified Nigerians from public service.
