Protesters have stormed the Senate Wing of the National Assembly demanding the rejection of the ambassadorial nomination of Abayomi Fasina, over pending allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
The protesters under the aegis of the coalition of Civil Society Organisations on Tuesday said the protest was not driven by personal grievances but by concerns about Nigeria’s international reputation.
On June 24, President Bola Tinubu sent a request to the Senate asking it to confirm Fasina’s nomination as a Non-Career Ambassador and High Commissioner-designate.
The convener of the coalition and leader of the protest, Amirah Adeyemo, told newsmen that the coalition is not asking the Senate to determine Fasina’s guilt but to delay his confirmation until the legal process is concluded.
Adeyemo said the Senate must not allow anyone facing allegations of sexual misconduct to represent Nigeria abroad, noting that the coalition would petition the country where Fasina is nominated to serve if the Senate proceeds with his confirmation.
“As concerned Nigerians, we are here to state our plight to the Senate. We are here not because we have any personal vendetta against Professor Fasina Abayomi, but because this has gone beyond just one individual.
“Our call to the Senate is clear; let no one who has such a grave allegation against them, such as sexual misconduct, go forward to represent our country and tarnish the integrity that the nation has built over the years in the global space.
“We are here to call the Senate to listen to our plight. The Senate is not a court. We are not presuming anybody guilty or asking for the senate to prosecute,” she said.
Fasina is a professor of Soil Science and the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, FUOYE.