Scores of civil society activists on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, stormed the National Assembly complex in Abuja, demanding that the Senate suspend the confirmation of Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), as a non-career ambassador.
The protesters, operating under the banner of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, cited ongoing court cases involving allegations of sexual harassment, human rights violations, and victimisation against the nominee. They argued that confirmation should be deferred until the judicial process is completed.
President Bola Tinubu had forwarded a list of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation to address vacancies in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions. However, Fasina’s nomination has sparked significant controversy.
Carrying placards with messages such as “Suspend the Ambassadorial Appointment of Prof Fasina Now” and “Nigerian Senate, Don’t Confirm Prof Abayomi Fasina’s Ambassadorial Appointment,” the demonstrators chanted solidarity songs outside the assembly complex.
Adeyemo Amira, a legal practitioner
