Group Worry Over Senate’s delay to Confirm Chair OF Electricity Commission

The Grassroot Initiative Concept (GIC) has called for transparency and clarification from the Senate over the delayed confirmation of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The group’s statement follows comments attributed to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), which have stirred public concern about the handling of Ramat’s nomination.

GIC, in a press statement signed by its convener, Alwan Hassan, noted that the Senate plays a crucial role as a stabilising pillar of Nigeria’s democracy and must continue to embody fairness, competence, and transparency in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to the group, the Senate’s credibility and moral authority are essential to sustaining public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“We hold the Senate in the highest esteem as one of Africa’s most respected parliaments and a custodian of the people’s will. Our intention is not to criticise but to clarify facts, defend due process, and safeguard the Senate’s integrity,” it said.

GIC described as misleading and unfair the claim that Ramat’s confirmation was linked to an alleged $10 million bribe.

It said Mr Alwan’s remarks were merely a reflection of public speculation, not a statement of fact, noting that he had used the word “allegedly,” which clearly showed he was not accusing the Senate or its leadership of wrongdoing.

The group explained that the concern raised was about perceptions of political interference, not an indictment of the Senate or any of its leaders, expressing confidence that the Senate leadership would handle the matter with transparency and justice.

“These questions are raised not in defiance, but in confidence in the Senate’s moral authority and history of fairness and justice.

“It emphasised that the intervention was not to defend an individual but to protect institutional integrity and reinforce public trust in democratic processes,” it added.

The group further appealed to the leadership of the 10th Senate under Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin to clarify and resolve the matter in the interest of truth, justice, and the nation’s image.

It expressed full confidence that the Senate, guided by its history of patriotism and fairness, would act with wisdom and statesmanship to reaffirm the trust that Nigerians and the global community have long placed in it.