Protesters Storm NASS, Demand Confirmation of NERC Chairman Nominee

Supporters of President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Abdullahi Ramat, staged a protest at the National Assembly on Tuesday, urging the Senate to expedite his confirmation.

The demonstrators, comprising Ramat’s backers, civil society groups, and human rights activists, marched around the parliamentary complex carrying placards reading, among others, “President Tinubu Did Not Send Nominees to be Harassed” and “Ramat Represents Reform in the Power Sector,” while chanting solidarity songs.

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

Ahmed Suleiman, leader of the protest and spokesperson for the Grassroots Initiative Concept, told journalists that petitions had been sent to both President Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, warning that “certain vested interests” were trying to block Ramat’s appointment for political reasons.

“We write as proud indigenes of Kano State, like Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin, to reaffirm our commitment to peace and good governance,” Suleiman said. “It is deeply unsettling that Engr. Ramat’s confirmation was stepped down despite his qualifications and the screening committee’s positive recommendation. We have learned that false narratives are being spread to discredit him.”

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The group cautioned that allowing political interference to override merit could set a “dangerous precedent,” where capable Nigerians are denied key positions due to personal grudges or power struggles.

They urged the Senate not to “yield to blackmail or manipulation,” emphasizing that confirming Ramat would benefit national interests and support reforms in the power sector.

The protest comes just days after the Senate threatened legal action against former presidential aide Alwan Hassan, who alleged that lawmakers received a $10 million bribe to block Ramat’s confirmation.

Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu dismissed the claims as “baseless and reckless,” explaining that the nominee’s confirmation was postponed following “public and private complaints” about 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 pledged to compel Hassan to substantiate his allegations in court and maintained that no nominee would be confirmed “under a cloud of public concern.”