Protest Storm National Assembly Over Delayed Confirmation of NERC Chair

Protest Storm National Assembly Over Delayed Confirmation of NERC Chair
Senate dismisses bribery claims, insists confirmation was lawfully delayed.
Tension grows amid rising public anger over poor power supply.

Fresh controversy has erupted over the delayed confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Abdullahi Ramat, as protesters stormed the National Assembly on Tuesday, urging senators to conclude the process without further delay.

The demonstrators, made up of Ramat’s supporters, civil society organisations, and human rights activists, marched around the parliamentary complex chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with messages such as “President Tinubu Did Not Send Nominees to be Harassed” and “Ramat Represents Reform in Power Sector.”

Their protest followed the Senate’s decision last month to suspend Ramat’s confirmation despite his successful screening by the Senate Committee on Power, chaired by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that leader of the protesters and spokesperson of the Grassroots Initiative Concept, Ahmed Suleiman, told journalists that they had formally petitioned both President Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alleging that “certain vested interests” were working to derail a credible appointment.

“We write as proud indigenes of Kano State, just like the Deputy Senate President, Distinguished Senator Barau Jibril, to express our firm commitment to the peace, progress, and good governance of our great nation.

“It is in this regard that we respectfully bring to your attention a matter of significant concern: the yet-to-be-concluded confirmation of our son, Engr. Abdullahi Ramat, as NERC Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,” Suleiman said.

He argued that Ramat “possesses the requisite academic and professional qualifications, as well as valuable experience,” describing the decision to step down his name on October 22 as “surprising and deeply unsettling,” despite being cleared by the screening panel.

“We have since been informed that certain vested interests have mounted pressure to block his confirmation by advancing false narratives and politically motivated petitions,” he alleged, warning that “a dangerous precedent is being set; one where Nigeria’s most capable hands are subjected to the vindictive whims of politics.”

The protesters appealed to the Senate leadership “not to yield to the machinations of those who do not wish Nigeria well,” urging lawmakers to confirm Ramat “in the national interest, the unity of Nigeria, and the success of the Tinubu administration.”

Their agitation comes just days after the Senate threatened legal action against former presidential aide, Alwan Hassan, who alleged that lawmakers collected a $10 million bribe to frustrate Ramat’s confirmation.

Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, dismissed the bribery claim as “baseless,” explaining that the nominee’s confirmation was stepped down following “public and private complaints” about his suitability.

“The attention of the Senate has been drawn to the uncoordinated cacophony of one innocuous Alwan Hassan, who is a hand-tool to one Mr Abdullah Garba Ramat. Many nominees have been stepped down due to such public outcry. The case of Mr Ramat is not an exception,” Adaramodu said.

He stressed that the Senate would not bow to external pressure or confirm any nominee “under a cloud of public concern,” adding that Hassan would be required to present evidence in court to support his allegations.

Ramat’s nomination remains suspended pending further legislative and public review, amid growing frustration among Nigerians over electricity tariffs and the poor state of power supply nationwide.