A mild drama played out at the headquarters of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja on Friday as President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for the chairmanship position, Abdullahi Garba Ramat, assumed duty ahead of his confirmation by the Senate.

The development came barely 24 hours after the Presidency issued two separate press statements clarifying that the current acting chairman, Musiliu Oseni, would remain in office until the nominee was confirmed by the National Assembly.

Despite the clarification, Ramat arrived at the commission’s Central Business District office in the company of  political associates and armed security personnel and took over operations.

Oseni, who had been serving as acting chairman, formally handed over in a brief ceremony.

The Senate, currently on recess and scheduled to resume on September 23, is constitutionally mandated to confirm appointments of the NERC chairman and commissioners.

In the first press release on Thursday, Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said Ramat would “resume pending confirmation.” Hours later, a re-issued statement posted on Onanuga’s X account said: “The commission’s acting chairman will continue to hold his position until the confirmation of the new chairman-designate.”

Speaking shortly after taking charge, Ramat expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the appointment and pledged to prioritise efficiency in the Nigerian electricity supply industry.

According to him, electricity supply will improve and it will not be business as usual. When contacted, Oseni simply replied that he had no comment.