CSOs urge Senate to hasten confirmation of Acting NERC Chairman
By Olakunle Oke
A coalition of civil society organizations has called on the Nigerian Senate to immediately confirm the nomination of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as Chairman of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), describing the prolonged delay as “unnecessary, inexplicable, and unjustifiable.”
At a press conference held on Monday, November 10, 2025, at Imo House, Abuja, the group, under the banner of the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI), accused the Senate leadership of deliberately stalling the confirmation process, thereby undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s power sector reforms.
The convener, Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince, said the delay in confirming Ramat who was nominated alongside Mr. Abubakar Yusuf and Mr. Fouad Olayinka Animashaun for key NERC positions amounts to sabotaging the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, had earlier presented the nominees after a thorough vetting process, but the Senate failed to act on the report.
Momoh alleged that the delay was being orchestrated by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and his deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, claiming that both men were pursuing “personal political interests” rather than supporting the President’s reform agenda.
“Our findings indicate that certain lawmakers are using political influence to stall this appointment. This is political sabotage, and Nigerians must not remain silent,” he stated.
He described the development as “political terrorism,” warning that no individual should hold the nation’s progress hostage or subvert meritocracy in critical appointments.
The coalition maintained that Engr. Ramat, a Harvard-trained electrical engineer and fellow of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), is well qualified to head NERC. It cited his experience as the pioneer Managing Director of the Kano State Metropolitan Agency (KASMA) and his current role as Director of AG Ramat Global Electrical/Electronic Ltd.
“Engr. Ramat possesses the technical expertise, leadership experience, and strategic vision needed to advance power sector reforms and stabilize Nigeria’s electricity system,” the statement read.
The coalition urged the Senate President to explain to Nigerians the reasons for the delay, emphasizing that the power sector, being critical to national development and industrialization, should not be politicized.
“If after 48 hours the Senate fails to confirm Engr. Ramat, we will mobilize unemployed Nigerian youths for peaceful protests at the National Assembly and NERC offices nationwide,” Momoh warned.
He added that the coalition would not hesitate to “embarrass and expose” any attempt to frustrate the government’s reform agenda in the power sector.