The Senate has refuted claims that its leadership accepted a $10 million bribe to obstruct the confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for the position of Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Abdullahi Ramat.
The accusation, made by Alwan Hassan, a former Special Adviser to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, generated widespread controversy and raised questions about transparency in the confirmation process for key regulatory appointments in the power sector.
At present, 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 form of financial inducement but rather by public and private complaints received against the nominee.
According to Adaramodu, the Senate has a responsibility to review petitions and consider concerns raised about nominees before making confirmation decisions.
He said the chamber has previously withheld confirmations based on credible petitions and would continue to uphold due process.
“Many nominees have stepped down due to such public outcry. The case of Mr. Ramat is not an exception,” he stated.
Adaramodu further accused Hassan of attempting to smear the reputation of the legislature through deliberate misinformation.
“Alwan has ludicrously alleged that the Senate was compromised by yet-to-be-disclosed ghosts to reject the nomination and confirmation of Ramat.
“For the unsuspecting public not to be persuaded by the satanic verses, the Senate wishes to state that Mr. Garba Ramat has a baggage of public and private complaints against his nomination,” he added.
The Senate spokesperson warned that the upper chamber would not allow baseless allegations to tarnish 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 unfathomable allegations in order to arm-twist the legislature.
“The Senate will definitely engage Mr. Alwan in court to provide Nigerians with proof of his assertions,” Adaramodu said.
He also emphasized that lawmakers had no personal relationship with the nominee.
“We didn’t know and had no prior encounter with Ramat until his nomination came for screening. The Senate is bound to listen to and consider any issues raised against him by the people he was nominated to serve,” he added.
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