The Senate has approved the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the premature removal of Babatunde Irukera as Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Tinubu had in January 2023 sacked both the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, and the Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Irukera with immediate effect.
Senator representing Ekiti Central and Leader of the Senate, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion “ that the Senate do consider the request of Mr President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the removal of Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in accordance with Section 8(1)(bb) & (2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018.”
Senator representing Enugu West, Osita Ngwu who recalled that the axed Chief Executive Officer of FCCPC has not completed his term of office, was however countered by Senate President Godswill Akpabio who insisted that it was not the duty of the Senate to question the President’s nomination, but to either approve it or reject it.
He subsequently put the question for those who supported the removal of Babatunde Irukera as CE/VC, FCCPC to vote and those who aligned with Irukera removal was overwhelming.