Residents of Kano State on Tuesday held a peaceful protest at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja, calling for the prompt screening and confirmation of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The demonstrators, who arrived in several Kano Line-branded and coastal buses, carried placards with messages such as “Tinubu’s nomination should be respected” and “Akpabio and Barau must stop undermining President Tinubu.”
Their protest followed what they described as the Senate’s undue delay in confirming Ramat, several weeks after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu nominated him for the position.
President Tinubu had, in a letter dated October 7, 2025, requested the Senate to confirm Ramat as NERC chairman. The correspondence, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary, has since not been acted upon by the upper chamber.
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Responding earlier to public criticism, Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), the Senate Spokesperson clarified in a statement on Friday that the delay stemmed from multiple petitions filed against the nominee.
He dismissed allegations that Senate leaders collected a $10 million bribe to stall the confirmation.
“The Senate is statutorily bound to pause consideration of any nominee facing serious public petitions or controversies.
“Many nominees in the past have been stepped down for similar reasons. Mr. Ramat’s case is no exception,” Adaramodu stated.
Speaking during the demonstration, protest leader Ahmed Suleiman said there was no valid reason to delay Ramat’s confirmation, especially after the Senate Committee on Power, chaired by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, had screened and recommended him.
In a letter addressed to Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President and copied to President Bola Tinubu; Abba Yusuf, Kano State Governor and Jibrin Barau, Deputy Senate President, the protesters urged the National Assembly to act swiftly.
“We respectfully bring to your attention a matter of significant concern: the yet-to-be-concluded confirmation of our son, Engr. Ramat Abdullahi, as Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
“Engr. Abdullahi has, over the past decade, served diligently and honorably in various capacities, ranging from local governance to advisory roles within the Kano State government, as well as in his private ventures.
“He possesses the requisite academic and professional qualifications, as well as valuable experience, to lead a strategic institution as critical as NERC at this pivotal time in our country’s energy journey,” the letter partly read.
The protesters appealed to Senate President Akpabio to resolve the matter promptly, warning that the prolonged delay undermines the credibility of the confirmation process and could discourage competent Nigerians from aspiring to public service.
