- The Senate has urged the removal of the Registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission over repeated defiance of oversight summons
- The Lawmakers accused Hussaini Magaji of consistently ignoring invitations to account for revenue matters
- The recommendation to remove the CAC registrar-general has been forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for action
The Senate on Thursday, February 26, called on President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission over what lawmakers described as persistent refusal to appear before the Senate Committee on Finance.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu during a session in which members of the President’s economic team were present for engagement with the committee.
Tension arose at the start of the meeting when agency heads were introduced and senators noted the absence of the CAC registrar-general, who had been invited to account for the commission’s activities, particularly regarding revenue matters.
Moving the motion, Kalu expressed frustration over what he described as repeated disregard for legislative oversight, accusing the CAC boss of consistently avoiding committee invitations.
He stated: “Since I came to the Senate, this CAC man has always given excuses that he is in the Villa or going to London. He is not above the law. This man is not coming to the Senate. Look at the ministers of finance and budget. They are both here. We summoned them and they came.
“But this man thinks he’s bigger than the Senate. We’re not going to take that rubbish again. He had refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee. We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.
“I move a motion that the man should be reported to Mr President and ask for immediate removal because we cannot continue with him. Is that what we’re doing here? He should come and give us an account of what he had done.”
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, supported the concerns, pointing to unresolved discrepancies in the reconciliation of the commission’s revenues.
He noted that despite multiple invitations, the registrar-general had repeatedly failed to appear before the committee.
“The registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission has refused on so many occasions to honour the calls, invitations or summons of this most important committee.
“There are only about three committees that are in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Committee of Finance is one of those committees. Sections 88 and 89 have given us these powers.
“And as registrar-general, we have issues with the reconciliation of their revenue. Anytime he is invited, he will give us one reason or another, and he will send junior officers to come and talk to the Senate. That cannot be accepted,” he said.
Frustration deepened as Senator Adams Oshiomhole suggested that the Senate should withhold approval of the commission’s 2026 budget until the registrar-general personally appeared before the committee.
Oshiomhole also argued that the commission should be prevented from spending its internally generated revenue without National Assembly approval.
“This senate should decline to appropriate anything in the 2026 budget until we are satisfied that he has accounted for previous money and spending properly.
“And should he spend money that is not appropriated, he should be heading to Kuje Prison,” Oshiomhole said.
The motion urging President Tinubu to remove the CAC registrar-general was put to a voice vote and adopted.
The development reflects renewed determination by the Senate to exercise its constitutional oversight powers, particularly over revenue-generating agencies.
The Corporate Affairs Commission, which regulates company registrations in Nigeria, remains a key contributor to non-oil revenue, making accountability and transparency central to its operations.