Dozens of protesters converged on the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday, calling on the Senate to suspend the confirmation of Prof. Abayomi Fasina as a non-career ambassadorial nominee over allegations of sexual harassment, human rights violations and victimisation currently before the courts.
President Bola Tinubu recently forwarded Fasina’s name to the Senate alongside other ambassadorial nominees as part of efforts to fill Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, many of which have remained vacant for months.
However, Fasina’s nomination has continued to spark opposition, with civil society organisations arguing that the Senate should postpone any confirmation until the legal proceedings against him are concluded.
Operating under the umbrella of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, the demonstrators marched to the National Assembly, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards.
Addressing journalists during the protest, legal practitioner Adeyemo Amira, who spoke for the coalition, said Fasina was involved in pending cases before the National Industrial Court in Lagos and Abuja.
Amira maintained that the protest was not motivated by personal grievances but by the need to preserve the integrity of public office, urging lawmakers to allow the courts to determine the issues before taking any action on the nomination.
She emphasised that the coalition was not seeking to pronounce Fasina guilty, noting that such responsibility rests solely with the judiciary.
She said, “Our call to the Senate is clear. Where there are grave allegations such as sexual misconduct pending before a court, this is not the time to confirm such a person to represent Nigeria internationally.
“The Senate is not a court. Let the court do its job.
“We have no personal vendetta against Prof Abayomi Sunday Fasina. But this issue is bigger than one individual.”
Amira also referenced an earlier ambassadorial nomination that reportedly attracted international scrutiny because of allegations involving the nominee’s family, warning that Nigeria should avoid actions capable of damaging its image abroad.
She added that the coalition was standing with individuals who had spoken out against sexual harassment and insisted that their concerns deserved protection.
“If he is cleared by the court, nobody will be happier than those of us advocating for justice. However, until that happens, we believe the Senate should hold on to the confirmation,” she added.
Also speaking, co-convener of the protest, Dr Ernest Ogaze, argued that the Senate should reject Fasina’s nomination outright instead of merely delaying the confirmation process.
“We are saying clearly that the nomination of Professor Abayomi should be declined outright. We are not saying it should merely be suspended. It should be rejected,” Ogaze said.
He warned that approving the nomination while the cases remained unresolved could further dent Nigeria’s international reputation.
“The country’s image stands to be negatively impacted. We cannot afford to allow these things to continue. Nigeria’s image is already facing challenges, and this would only make the situation worse. The National Assembly should decline this nomination without thinking twice,” he said.
According to Ogaze, the nominee is facing two court cases relating to allegations of sexual harassment, stressing that the matters should be treated with the seriousness they deserve.
“Yes, we know that a person is innocent until proven guilty, but these are serious matters before competent courts and should not be taken for granted,” he said.
The coalition also pointed to what it described as an existing precedent, citing the 2009 case of Prof. Tunde Adeniran, whose nomination as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States was not approved.
“There is a clear precedent, and I am calling on the National Assembly to do what is right by declining this nomination,” Ogaze added.
The Feminist Manifesto Conference also joined the call, urging senators to stop the confirmation process in view of the pending criminal and civil cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Emmanuella Azu said petitions had already been submitted to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Senate committee handling the screening exercise, asking them to suspend the nomination.
She argued that confirming Fasina before the conclusion of the court cases would undermine Nigeria’s commitment to addressing allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I stand today on behalf of the Feminist Manifesto Conference, a coalition of over 500 civil society organisations. We are asking the Senate to halt the confirmation of Prof Abayomi Sunday Fasina.
“He should not be confirmed for an ambassadorial position while allegations of sexual misconduct against him are still before the courts,” she said.
Fasina, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, was recently nominated by President Tinubu as a non-career ambassador.
His nomination has remained controversial following allegations of sexual harassment, victimisation and abuse of office made by a senior university official. Fasina has consistently denied all the allegations.
