CAC Registrar Magaji reprieve as Senate withdraws earlier call for his removal following apology during budget defence session

The Nigerian Senate on Monday rescinded its earlier resolution urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, from office following his appearance and apology before lawmakers at a budget defence session in Abuja.

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The decision followed the adoption of a motion during proceedings of the Senate Committee on Finance after Hussaini Magaji expressed remorse over his previous failure to personally honour invitations issued by the committee.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Sani Musa, recalled that lawmakers had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as repeated non compliance with committee summons and delayed responses to official correspondence from the National Assembly.

Senator Musa stated that the committee, in exercising its constitutional oversight over revenue generating agencies, ministries, departments and government owned enterprises, had previously recommended that the Senate formally request the President to remove the CAC registrar-general from office.

However, the situation shifted after Magaji appeared before the committee shortly after the pronouncement and tendered an unreserved apology, attributing the incident to a communication gap between officials of the Corporate Affairs Commission and its National Assembly liaison unit.

Magaji explained that he was in Lagos when the invitation letter was received and had immediately cut short his engagements to attend the session but arrived late despite notifying the committee through his staff.

He added that a dedicated liaison office had now been established to ensure prompt communication with lawmakers.

Assuring senators of his respect for legislative authority, Magaji accepted full responsibility for the lapse and pledged that such an occurrence would not be repeated.

Several lawmakers subsequently spoke in his defence. Senator Dicket Plang described the registrar-general as genuinely remorseful and deserving of another opportunity, while Senator Yahaya Abdullahi stressed that although legislative invitations must always be respected, forgiveness was appropriate under the circumstances.

Senator Ned Nwoko also vouched for Magaji’s disciplined record in public service and urged the committee to balance accountability with compassion.

The motion to grant the CAC Registrar Magaji reprieve was moved by Senator Isa Jibrin and seconded by Senator Sani Daura, effectively reversing the earlier recommendation for his removal.

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The committee thereafter directed the registrar-general to reappear at a later date to defend the commission’s 2024 and 2025 budget performance alongside its 2026 budget proposal.