The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominee, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, despite objections by some lawmakers over allegations of sexual harassment previously levelled against him.
The confirmation followed a heated debate on the floor of the Senate, during which the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole exchanged remarks that revived their long-running political rivalry.
The controversy arose when the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Senator Sani Bello, presented its report recommending Fasina’s confirmation after screening the nominee.
However, Senator Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North) objected to the recommendation, citing allegations of sexual harassment allegedly made against Fasina by two women during his time at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
Fasuyi told the Senate that one of the alleged victims had personally approached him over the matter and complained that justice was not served.
“The woman approached me and told me what happened. The woman did not get justice,” Fasuyi said.
He urged the Senate to suspend consideration of the nomination and allow further investigation, suggesting that the petitioner be invited to appear before lawmakers.
Several senators supported the call for caution, arguing that since the matter was reportedly before a court, Fasina should not be confirmed pending its resolution.
Oshiomhole also weighed in, insisting that the Senate should not overlook allegations of sexual harassment involving two separate women.
The debate took a dramatic turn when Akpabio interrupted Oshiomhole’s submission with a pointed remark that drew laughter across the chamber.
“We all saw video footage where a senator was massaging a woman’s foot. Even though they claimed it was AI (artificial intelligence) generated, we know that…” Akpabio said before breaking into laughter.
The comment was widely interpreted as a reference to a viral video that surfaced months ago showing Oshiomhole massaging the foot of a young woman aboard a private jet.
The Edo North senator did not respond to the jibe and remained silent as laughter echoed through the chamber.
Earlier, the Foreign Affairs Committee had defended its recommendation, stating that investigations by relevant authorities cleared the nominee of any wrongdoing.
“The accusation against Professor Fasina was investigated by competent authorities, including the university governing council and the Nigerian Police, and they both found the allegations to be false,” the committee stated in its report.
The committee also noted that no court judgment or documentary evidence establishing wrongdoing by the nominee was presented during the screening exercise.
Some lawmakers further argued that by parliamentary convention, nominees usually enjoy the backing of senators from their state of origin and noted that no senator from Lagos State, where Fasina hails from, had raised any objection.
Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno urged his colleagues to be guided by constitutional provisions rather than allegations that had not been proven.
“A man is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. We cannot halt our constitutional responsibility simply because of allegations,” Monguno said.
He cited Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution on the presumption of innocence and also referred to Order 52(5) of the Senate Standing Rules, cautioning lawmakers against discussing matters capable of prejudicing ongoing judicial proceedings.
Senator Abdul Ningi also defended the committee’s report and urged the Senate to respect its committee system.
“This is a parliament with a committee system. The matter was referred to the committee and they have come up with a report,” Ningi said.
“We must not destroy somebody’s career, a professor of note, because there was an allegation that has not been proven up till now. If anybody has issues, they should go to court.”
Ningi also questioned why Fasuyi did not encourage the woman who alleged sexual harassment to appear before the committee during the screening exercise.
“Why didn’t you tell the woman to come to the committee? You even signed the report calling the nominee articulate and wonderful,” he added.
As the debate intensified, Akpabio cautioned senators against delving into issues already being handled by competent authorities.
“We must not descend into the arena. There is no need to go into details on this matter on the floor,” he said.
Following clarifications that Fasina is from Lagos State and that no senator from the state had objected to his nomination, Fasuyi eventually withdrew his opposition.
“There is no senator from Lagos that is objecting to his nomination. I therefore withdraw my submission,” he said.
The Senate subsequently confirmed Prof. Fasina as ambassador-designate through a voice vote.
