Senate withdraws motion seeking CAC Registrar’s removal

2026-03-02 - 18:27

...As Magaji Apologises, Establishes Liaison Office with National Assembly By Henry Umoru ABUJA — The Senate has rescinded its earlier resolution calling for the removal of the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, following an apology and renewed commitment to improve communication with the National Assembly. The Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Sani Musa, had last week recommended Magaji’s removal by Bola Tinubu over his repeated failure to appear before the committee. However, at a session on Monday, the committee reversed its position after the CAC boss expressed remorse and announced the creation of a liaison office to strengthen coordination between the commission and the National Assembly. The motion to rescind the earlier decision was moved by Senator Jibrin Isa and seconded by Senator Nasir Musa Zango Daura. Addressing the committee, Senator Musa criticised Magaji’s past conduct, stressing the importance of legislative oversight. “This committee is not happy with your persistent refusal to appear before it or sending junior officers. That is not acceptable. The Constitution grants us oversight powers over all revenue-generating agencies,” he said. In response, Magaji tendered an unreserved apology, attributing his absence at the previous meeting to travel delays and communication lapses. “Mr. Chairman, I sincerely apologise to the committee... We have now created a dedicated liaison office to handle interactions with the National Assembly. I assure you this will not happen again,” he said. Following his apology, several lawmakers appealed for leniency, describing the registrar as a respectful and dedicated public servant. Among those who spoke in his defence were Senators Diket Plang, Ned Nwoko, and Orji Uzor Kalu, who had originally moved the removal motion but later urged its withdrawal. The committee subsequently adopted the motion to rescind the earlier resolution through a voice vote. Despite the reprieve, the committee stood down consideration of the CAC’s 2024 and 2025 budget presentations, describing them as inadequate, and directed the registrar to make a more detailed re-presentation on Thursday.