A former Commissioner of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Henry Omoregie Williams Idahagbon, has attributed the allegations of corruption levelled against him by the Senator representing Edo North at the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, to his refusal to compromise civil service recruitment processes in favour of “a lady personally associated with him”.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Oshiomhole made the allegations at plenary during a Senate confirmation hearing following his renomination by President Bola Tinubu as a member of the FCSC.
Describing the allegations as “reckless, false and malicious”, Idahagbon, who served as Attorney General and commissioner for justice during Oshiomhole’s administration, in a petition addressed to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said the former governor’s objection to his reappointment was based on “a sweeping allegation of corruption in recruitment and promotion activities at the Federal Civil Service Commission,” which he described as “completely unsupported by any evidence.”
Based on Senator Oshiomhole’s objection, the senate on Wednesday December 17, 2025, stepped down Idahagbon’s nomination, while it confirmed that of Ngbea Gabriel representing Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau States after it considered the report of the committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters on the confirmation of nominees for appointment as commissioners of the FCSC presented by the chairman, Cyril Fasuyi.
Raising his objections, Oshiomhole said, “I have drawn the attention of the chairman of this committee to the fact that the first name on that list representing Edo, Ondo and Ekiti is from Edo state.
“I had the privilege and honour of nominating him five years ago. But, with his conduct as a federal commissioner, when it comes to recruitment and promotion, a lot of issues of corruption and other malpractices were raised.
“And I draw the chairman’s attention to this. I plead with the senate that the nomination of Idahagbon Omoregie be deferred because we have proposed a replacement which will come from the same senatorial zone, so there is no question of upsetting any balance.”
But protesting the corruption allegation in his petition to Akpabio, Idahagbon said, “I state categorically, unequivocally, and without reservation that this allegation is false, malicious, reckless, and completely unsupported by any evidence,” adding that the only reason he had not instituted a libel action was because the statement was made under parliamentary privilege.
He dared the Edo North senator to repeat the allegations outside the Senate chamber “where privilege does not apply and where facts, not insinuations, are required.”
Idahagbon, whose tenure as FCSC commissioner expired on 26 August 2025 before his renomination by President Tinubu, alleged that Oshiomhole’s action was driven by personal grievances arising from his refusal to compromise civil service recruitment processes.
According to the petitioner, on August 15, 2023, Oshiomhole forwarded an examination number belonging to “a lady personally associated with him” and instructed that she be ensured a pass and promotion.
Idahagbon said the candidate “failed the examination woefully,” adding, “I refused to interfere with or manipulate the process, in strict adherence to the rules governing civil service examinations and promotions.”
He further claimed to be in possession of the candidate’s examination scripts, which he said showed “miserable performance and abysmally low scores,” and offered to submit them to the Senate for independent verification.
“Any intervention on my part would have amounted to outright fraud and abuse of office,” he said, alleging that following his refusal, Oshiomhole “became visibly incensed” and later subjected him to over an hour of verbal abuse in the presence of a legal practitioner who could testify to the incident.
The former commissioner also linked the senator’s hostility to political disagreements over the 2024 Edo State governorship election, saying he openly opposed Oshiomhole’s support for a candidate from Edo South, citing equity, zoning principles, and public allegations of financial compromise.
“I canvassed this position openly and in good conscience, solely in the interest of equity, fairness, and political balance,” Idahagbon stated, noting that he articulated these views during a nationally televised interview.
He described it as “ironic” that Oshiomhole now labels him corrupt, given that the senator had previously appointed or recommended him for several sensitive positions, including Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Edo State, Secretary-General of the Oshiomhole Campaign Organisation, and nominee for appointment to the Federal Civil Service Commission.
In a poser, Idahagbon asked, “If I am truly corrupt as now alleged, should his judgement, discernment, and credibility not be seriously questioned?”.
He further accused Oshiomhole of misrepresenting his senatorial status at plenary, stressing that the senator does not represent his Edo South district. “Senator Oshiomhole is not my Senator. He represents Edo North Senatorial District. I am from Edo South”.
Addressing the substance of the corruption claim, Idahagbon stated that there had been a federal embargo on employment since 2020, except for a special 2023 waiver that allowed recruitment of 1,350 persons nationwide with only 18 slots allocated to Edo State.
He revealed that “The first person employed on my Edo allocation was Taofiq Oshiomhole! I am attaching to this petition copies of the employment letters of all persons employed by me, together with their phone numbers”.
Challenging the appropriate Senate committee “to independently contact them”, Idahagbon declared that “If any one of them proves that he or she paid me one naira in connection with employment, I will voluntarily submit myself to the EFCC”.
On promotion matters, Idahagbon maintained that promotions at the FCSC are “a collective, transparent, and institutional process,” making it “impossible for a single Commissioner to unilaterally influence or manipulate the process.”
He said the allegations had caused him serious reputational damage, stating that his family, including his children, had been inundated with calls since the Senate session.
“This is the first time in my entire public career that I have been accused of corruption,” he lamented.
He pleaded with the Senate to invite him to defend himself, compel Oshiomhole to substantiate his claims, so as to discourage what he described as “the abuse of parliamentary privilege for personal vendetta,” while also upholding his constitutional right to fair hearing.