Protesters stormed the National Assembly on Tuesday, demanding that the Senate confirm Abdullahi Ramat, President Bola Tinubu’s candidate for Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The demonstrators, who included human rights advocates, civil society organisations, and supporters of Ramat, marched through the parliamentary complex while singing songs of solidarity and carrying signs that read things like “President Tinubu Did Not Send Nominees to be Harassed” and “Ramat Represents Reform in the Power Sector.”
The protest comes following the Senate decision to stop Ramat’s confirmation as NERC chairman last month, despite the fact that the Senate Committee on Power, headed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, had satisfactorily examined him.
Speaking to reporters, Ahmed Suleiman, the protest leader and spokesperson for the Grassroots Initiative Concept, stated that they had petitioned Senate President Godswill Akpabio and President Tinubu, claiming that “certain vested interests” were trying to obstruct Ramat’s NERC appointment for political reasons.
“We write as proud indigenes of Kano State, just like the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, to reaffirm our commitment to peace and good governance,” Suleiman stated.
“It is surprising and deeply unsettling that Engr. Ramat’s confirmation was stepped down despite his qualifications and the positive recommendation of the screening committee.
“We have since learned that some vested interests are pushing false narratives to discredit him,” he alleged.
The group said that permitting political meddling to take precedence over talent would create a “dangerous precedent” in which competent Nigerians are excluded from important national roles because of personal grudges and power battles.
They insisted that confirming Ramat as NERC chairman would serve the national interest and help the Tinubu administration’s reforms in the power sector, and they encouraged the Senate leadership not to “yield to blackmail or manipulation.”
The last demonstration came just four days after the Senate threatened to sue former presidential advisor Alwan Hassan for allegedly bribing senators with $10 million to keep Ramat from being confirmed as NERC chairman.
Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, dismissed the bribery allegations as “baseless and reckless,” saying the nominee’s confirmation was stepped down following “public and private complaints” regarding his suitability.
“Many nominees have been stepped down due to public outcry. Mr Ramat’s case is not an exception,” Adaramodu said.
The Senate has stated that it would not confirm any nominee “under a cloud of public concern” and has promised to force Hassan to prove his claims in court.
Ramat’s nomination is still on hold for more legislative review since Nigerians are still upset over the exorbitant cost of electricity and the nation’s ongoing inadequate power supply.
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