A wave of protest hit the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, as demonstrators called for the swift confirmation of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat, President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The protest was led by a coalition of civil society groups, rights activists, and supporters from Kano State, who accused the Senate of deliberately stalling the process despite Ramat’s successful screening.
Chanting solidarity songs and waving placards with messages like “President Tinubu Did Not Send Nominees to Be Harassed” and “Ramat Represents Reform in Power Sector”, the protesters expressed frustration over what they described as political interference and vested interests hijacking the confirmation process P.M. News The Punch.
The Senate had previously stepped down Ramat’s confirmation, even though its Committee on Power, chaired by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, had recommended him for approval. Protest leaders, including Ahmed I. Suleiman of the Grassroots Initiative Concept, claimed the delay undermines Tinubu’s reform agenda and the credibility of the legislative process The Punch.
A separate coalition, led by Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince of the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, also petitioned the Senate, warning that the delay could sabotage efforts to stabilize Nigeria’s electricity sector The Guardian Nigeria.
The protesters arrived in Kano Line-branded buses, signaling strong regional support for Ramat, who hails from Kano. Their demands include not only Ramat’s confirmation but also the approval of two other nominees: Abubakar Yusuf (Commissioner, Consumer Affairs) and Fouad Olayinka Animashaun (Commissioner, Finance & Administration) The Guardian Nigeria Daily Trust.
This protest adds to growing pressure on the Senate to act swiftly and transparently in confirming key appointments, especially those tied to critical infrastructure and national development.
