The Senate has dismissed claims by Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole that the signatures of some lawmakers were forged or improperly included in the report recommending the suspension of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 for six months following allegations of gross misconduct and unruly behavior during a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio regarding sitting arrangements in the chamber.
Oshiomhole alleged during a television interview that at least three Senators privately told him they only signed an attendance register for the Ethics and Public Petitions Committee meeting but found their names and purported signatures on the final document endorsing the suspension.
He specifically mentioned that FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe was among those whose signatures were allegedly misused.
In response, Senate Spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu clarified that no lawmaker has raised any formal complaint about forged signatures or procedural irregularities regarding the report.
Adaramodu, who was a member of the committee that investigated the matter, maintained that Senators are mature and independent-minded individuals who would raise objections on the floor of the Senate if their rights were violated.
Adaramodu made the clarification in a phone call with The Cable.
He said: “That is not true. Signatures forged, over what?”
“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.”
He added that the Senate will review Oshiomhole’s televised comments before determining whether any further action is required, emphasizing that the decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan was openly debated and approved during a live plenary session.
“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 signature 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 afoul of the Senate’s orders. And we are orderly because we are bounded by orders of the Senate.”