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Senate confirms former FUOYE Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, as Nigeria’s non-career ambassador after adopting the Foreign Affairs Committee’s report following an extensive debate.
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Lawmakers uphold committee findings that sexual harassment allegations against Fasina were investigated by the FUOYE Governing Council, Nigeria Police Force and security agencies, with no official evidence establishing the claims.
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Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Cyril Fasuyi oppose the confirmation, urging caution over the allegations, while Senator Abdul Ningi and committee members insist constitutional principles require evidence, not accusations.
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Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the upper chamber acted strictly on official reports and documentary evidence, stressing that no pending court documents or adverse findings were presented to disqualify the nominee.
July 16, (THEWILL) — The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, as a non-career ambassador, declaring that allegations of sexual harassment previously made against him had been investigated by relevant authorities and found to be unsubstantiated.
The confirmation followed the presentation and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Senator Sani Bello, which recommended Fasina’s confirmation after screening him and reviewing petitions submitted for and against his nomination.
Presenting the committee’s report, Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South), on behalf of the committee chairman, Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), said Prof. Fasina demonstrated the requisite competence, experience and integrity expected of a Nigerian ambassador during the screening exercise.
Lalong said the committee’s recommendation complied with Section 171(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates Senate confirmation before presidential nominees can be appointed as ambassadors.
He disclosed that the committee received several petitions challenging the nomination, as well as counter-petitions supporting it, all of which were carefully examined alongside reports from relevant government agencies before arriving at its recommendation.
According to him, allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Fasina while serving as Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE had been investigated by the university’s Governing Council and the Nigeria Police Force, with both investigations finding no evidence to substantiate the claims.
He added that security screening conducted by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force also cleared the nominee, while committee members were satisfied with his responses during the confirmation exercise.
“The committee is satisfied that the nominee fulfilled all constitutional requirements and that there are no official findings that disqualify him from serving as Nigeria’s non-career ambassador,” Lalong told the Senate.
Lawmakers Clash Over Allegations
The recommendation, however, sparked an extensive debate on the Senate floor, with some lawmakers urging caution before confirming the nominee.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) opposed the immediate confirmation, arguing that allegations reportedly involving two women and matters he believed were before competent courts should be allowed to run their course before the Senate approved the appointment.
Although he acknowledged that Fasina remained innocent until proven guilty, Oshiomhole argued that proceeding with the confirmation before the judicial process was concluded could be perceived as insensitive to women who had raised concerns over the alleged misconduct.
Responding to the objections, Lalong maintained that the committee was not presented with any court documents or evidence indicating that any case involving the nominee was pending before a court.
He stressed that allegations alone could not justify denying a presidential nominee confirmation, adding that the Senate had consistently upheld the constitutional principle that every accused person remained innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi (APC, Ekiti North) also opposed the confirmation, noting that FUOYE is located within his senatorial district and that the allegations had generated widespread public discussion in Ekiti State.
According to Fasuyi, the complainant had personally narrated her experience to him and urged the Senate to direct further investigation before making a final decision on the nomination.
Speaking in support of the committee’s recommendation, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) argued that the Senate should rely on the findings of competent authorities rather than speculation.
He noted that the committee received petitions from both opponents and supporters of the nominee and established that the allegations had already been investigated by the university’s Governing Council and the Nigeria Police Force, both of which found them to be unsubstantiated.
“The chairman of the committee stated that all concerns raised about the nominee had been thoroughly addressed. The committee also established that the allegations against Prof. Fasina had been investigated by competent authorities and were not substantiated,” Ningi said.
He urged lawmakers to uphold the committee’s recommendation and confirm the nominee.
Before the confirmation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read portions of the report submitted by the FUOYE Governing Council.
According to him, the report stated that there were no established cases of sexual harassment against the former vice-chancellor, thereby affirming the earlier findings of the Nigeria Police Force.
Akpabio quoted the report as stating: “There were no cases of sexual harassment, thus confirming the earlier investigation by the Nigeria Police Force, which had investigated the matter and found the allegation to be false.”
He added that during the investigation, the complainant stated that she was not sexually harassed, while all materials relied upon during the investigation—including police reports, audio recordings, transcripts, correspondence between the vice-chancellor and the complainant, and minutes of management meetings—were attached to the report.
“I cannot rely on hearsay or telephone conversations. The committee itself signed the report clearing the nominee and affirmed his competence, integrity and suitability for the ambassadorial position for which the President nominated him,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President reminded lawmakers that they had a constitutional obligation to base their decisions on verified evidence rather than public speculation.
“We are members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing a nation of nearly 250 million people. We must be careful not to import into our deliberations matters that are not supported by evidence before us,” he said.
Senate Approves Appointment
Following the debate, the Senate adopted the committee’s report through a voice vote, thereby confirming Prof. Fasina as one of Nigeria’s non-career ambassadors.
Born on July 17, 1961, in Lagos, Prof. Fasina is a distinguished soil sci,entist, academic and univer,sity administrator with more than four decades of experience in teaching, research, institutional leadership and public service.
Before leaving office as Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, he built a reputation in agricultural science and higher education, making him one of the academics nominated by President Bola Tinubu for diplomatic service.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
