CAC registrar-general apologises to Senate as lawmakers reverse call for his sack
The Senate has rescinded its earlier demand for the removal of the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Magaji, following his appearance before the Committee on Finance and a formal apology for failing to honour previous invitations.
The reversal came after lawmakers adopted a motion during the budget defence session on Monday in Abuja.
Magaji had faced criticism from the committee over what it described as repeated failures to personally respond to official correspondences and invitations, often sending senior officers in his stead.
Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, highlighted that it is the constitutional duty of the committee to exercise oversight over all revenue-generating agencies and government-owned enterprises.
He noted that the committee had earlier recommended that the Senate request the President to remove Magaji from office.
However, upon appearing before the committee, Magaji tendered an unreserved apology, attributing his previous absences to a communication gap between CAC staff and the National Assembly liaison office.
He explained that he was in Lagos when the invitation was received but immediately cut short his engagements to comply, albeit arriving late.
To prevent future occurrences, Magaji announced the establishment of a dedicated liaison office to manage all communications with the National Assembly.
He assured lawmakers that such lapses would not recur and reiterated his respect for the committee.
Some senators spoke in his defence following the apology. Sen. Dicket Plang described the situation as unfortunate but emphasised Magaji’s remorse and deserved a second chance.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi cautioned against making non-compliance a norm, while Sen. Ned Nwoko praised the registrar-general’s discipline in public and private life and urged the committee to temper justice with compassion.
The motion to rescind the call for Magaji’s removal was moved by Sen. Isa Jibrin and seconded by Senator Sani Daura.
The CAC Registrar-General has been asked to reappear before the committee at a later date to defend the commission’s 2024 and 2025 budget performance as well as its 2026 budget proposal.
