Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole locked horns on Thursday over whether the chamber should confirm Professor Abayomi Fasina as a non-career ambassador, with sexual harassment allegations hanging over the nominee.
Oshiomhole pushed back against endorsing Fasina, arguing it would send the wrong signal to Nigerian women. He noted that two separate women have levelled accusations against the former Federal University Oye-Ekiti vice-chancellor, with cases still pending in court.
"Nobody says he is guilty; he is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty," Oshiomhole told the chamber. But he added that confirming someone facing such serious allegations would be insensitive to women's concerns, especially since multiple accusers were involved.
"It would be more prudent to wait and ask the man to clear himself before the court," the senator argued, pushing for the Senate to hold off on the confirmation vote.
Despite the objection, the Senate went ahead and confirmed Fasina as the ambassadorial designate. The confirmation followed consideration of a report from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, headed by Senator Sani Bello of Niger North.
Senator Simon Lalong of Plateau South presented the committee's findings to the chamber. The disagreement marked a rare moment of tension between two senior lawmakers over the nominee's fitness for the diplomatic posting.
Fasina's appointment has drawn scrutiny since the allegations emerged. The confirmation means he'll represent Nigeria's interests abroad despite the ongoing legal challenges he faces at home.
The clash between Akpabio and Oshiomhole highlighted divisions within the Senate over how to balance the presumption of innocence with concerns about reputational risk. It remains unclear what Akpabio's position was on the confirmation vote itself.
