The Senate has rejected claims that its leadership accepted a $10 million bribe to obstruct the confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Abdullahi Ramat.
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The allegation, made by Alwan Hassan, a former Special Adviser to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, sparked widespread controversy and raised questions about transparency in the confirmation process for key regulatory appointments in the power sector.
Ramat’s confirmation has been suspended pending further legislative deliberations and public review. In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu dismissed Hassan’s allegation as unfounded. He clarified that the decision to delay Ramat’s screening was not influenced by any financial inducement but by public and private complaints lodged against the nominee.
Adaramodu said the Senate has a responsibility to review petitions and consider concerns raised about nominees before making confirmation decisions. He noted that the chamber has previously withheld confirmations based on credible petitions and would continue to uphold due process. “Many nominees have stepped down due to public outcry. The case of Mr. Ramat is no exception,” he stated.
He further accused Hassan of attempting to tarnish the reputation of the legislature through deliberate misinformation. “Alwan has ludicrously alleged that the Senate was compromised by yet-to-be-disclosed individuals to reject the nomination and confirmation of Ramat. For the public not to be misled, the Senate wishes to state that Mr. Garba Ramat has a record of public and private complaints against his nomination,” Adaramodu said.
The Senate spokesperson warned that the upper chamber would not allow baseless allegations to damage its image, noting that Hassan would be required to substantiate his claims in court. “No one can drag the institution of the National Assembly into public opprobrium with unfounded allegations in an attempt to arm-twist the legislature. The Senate will engage Mr. Alwan in court to provide Nigerians with proof of his assertions,” he added.
Adaramodu also emphasized that lawmakers had no prior personal relationship with the nominee. “We did not know Mr. Ramat before his nomination came for screening. The Senate is bound to consider any issues raised about him by the people he was nominated to serve,” he said.
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