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Daniel Adaji
The All Progressives Congress Niger Delta Youth Vanguard has demanded the immediate inauguration of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), warning that any further delay is damaging to the country’s power sector reform efforts.
In a statement signed Friday by the group’s National Coordinator, Comr. Osarodion Darlington, the youths questioned why the leadership of the Senate has not concluded the confirmation process for the President’s nominee, despite his screening and clearance by the Senate Committee on Power.
The group said: “Why Is NERC Still Leaderless? Nigerians Demand Abdullahi Garba Ramat’s Immediate Assumption of Office.”
They described the delay as “a direct disregard of the constitutional powers of the President” and “a deliberate obstruction of the ongoing electricity reform agenda aimed at stabilizing Nigeria’s power sector.”
NERC is the independent regulatory body responsible for oversight of Nigeria’s electricity market, including tariff approval, licensing of operators, consumer protection, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. The commission plays a central role in the country’s efforts to improve electricity supply, attract long-term investment, and strengthen accountability across the power value chain.
According to the statement, “For decades, Nigeria has suffered from crippling power challenges. The appointment of Engr. Garba is a strategic move by President Tinubu to reposition the sector, bring competence, transparency, and improved regulatory efficiency.”
Describing the nominee as highly competent, they added: “Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat is not just qualified—he is exceptionally experienced and deeply grounded in the technical, administrative, and policy frameworks required to manage and reform the electricity regulatory environment.”
The group insisted that withholding his inauguration after presidential nomination and Senate screening amounts to sabotaging the administration’s efforts to stabilize the sector.
They stated: “We therefore strongly demand that the leadership of the Senate and all relevant stakeholders immediately conclude the ratification process and allow Engr. Garba to resume office without further delay. Holding this appointment to ransom is equivalent to holding Nigeria’s power sector hostage.”
Reaffirming support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, the group vowed to resist what it called vested interests working against progress.
“We will not fold our hands while legitimate national progress is being sabotaged by vested interests,” the group said.
“We call on the Senate to do the needful now. Let merit prevail. Let governance function. Let progress continue,” it added.