Fresh tension erupted on Tuesday, November 11, at the National Assembly as protesters demanded that the Senate speed up the confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Abdullahi Ramat.
Naijaonpoint reports that the demonstrators, a mix of Ramat’s supporters, civil society groups, and rights activists, marched around the complex chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with inscriptions 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 step down Ramat’s confirmation despite his successful screening by the Senate Committee on Power, chaired by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Leader of the protest and spokesperson of the Grassroots Initiative Concept, Ahmed Suleiman, told journalists that they had formally petitioned President Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to intervene.
According to him, Ramat, a Kano indigene, had met all requirements for the role, but “certain vested interests” were working to derail the process.
“It is surprising and deeply unsettling that his name was stepped down on October 22 despite being recommended by the screening panel,” Suleiman told The PUNCH.
He argued that Ramat “possesses the requisite academic and professional qualifications, as well as valuable experience,” adding that attempts to block him were driven by “false narratives and politically-motivated petitions.”
Suleiman warned that a dangerous precedent was being created, one that would allow politics to frustrate qualified Nigerians seeking to serve.
The protesters urged Senate leaders not to bow to political pressure, insisting that confirming Ramat was “in the national interest, the unity of Nigeria, and the success of the Tinubu administration.”
They maintained that attempts to stall his appointment were calculated and unjustified.
Naijaonpoint reports that the protest came just days after the Senate threatened legal action against former presidential aide Alwan Hassan, who alleged that lawmakers collected a $10 million bribe to stop Ramat’s confirmation.
Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu dismissed the allegations as false and irresponsible.
“Many nominees have been stepped down due to public complaints. The case of Mr Ramat is not an exception,” Adaramodu said.
He described Hassan as “a hand-tool to one Mr Abdullah Garba Ramat” and insisted that the upper chamber would not confirm any nominee “under a cloud of public concern.”
The Senate vowed to compel Hassan to present evidence in court, warning that it would not succumb to intimidation.
Ramat’s nomination remains stalled pending further legislative and public review.
This is happening at a time Nigerians are expressing increasing frustration over soaring electricity tariffs and worsening power supply nationwide.
The Senate is expected to reconsider the issue after concluding its review of the petitions and complaints submitted by various groups.
For now, the political battle over the NERC leadership continues to escalate, with protesters, lawmakers, and interest groups all locked in a widening standoff.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]