The Nigerian Senate has denied an allegation that some signatures were forged in the incidents leading to the suspension of Kogi Central lawmaker, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said the forgery allegation by Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole is totally untrue.
Naijaonpoint recalls that Oshiomhole alleged that the signatures of at least three lawmakers were forged or improperly included in the report that recommended the six-month suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He made the claim while reacting to comments by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as one of the lowest points of the 10th Senate.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on AIT, the former Edo State governor said that some senators whose names appeared in the report had privately told him they had neither signed the document nor endorsed its recommendations.
However, Adaramodu, in a phone conversation with The Cable on Tuesday, dismissed Oshiomhole’s claim.
“That is not true. Signatures forged, over what?” he said.
He also stated that Senator Ireti Kingibe, whose name was mentioned by Oshiomhole, had never complained to the Senate.
According to him, senators have an independent mind and the allegations about a purported forgery are very strange.
“If Senator Kingibe had anything against any procedure, she would report it on the floor of the senate, not to an individual.
“But it is not even true, because I was part of the ethics and public petitions committee that listened to the matter.
“Nobody will say that he or she was coerced or somebody’s signature was forged; that has never happened in the senate and it cannot happen. It has never happened.
“Senators are independent-minded people. We are mature men and women. And if you have any infraction against anybody, that person can, without any advocate from anywhere, that person will show it. So there’s nothing like that. I’m just hearing it for the first time. That’s very strange,” Adaramodu said.
Asked whether the Senate would sanction Oshiomhole over the allegations, Adaramodu said the chamber would first examine the remarks before taking a stand.
“We are going to review any statements made by him. The senate will take a cursory look at either extraneous, spontaneous or intentional comments from any senator appropriately.
“We are going to look into it. We will take a stand and everyone will know where we stand. But we can say no senator has reported that his or her senator was forged during the Natasha matter.
“It was debated on the floor of the senate openly at the plenary in the full glare of every Nigerian and even the international audience, and so nothing to hide.
“All Nigerians knew where we stood then on the issue of Natasha… that she ran foul of the senate’s orders. And we are orderly because we are bounded by orders of the senate,” he said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 over allegations of gross misconduct and unruly behaviour following her dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
