Three senators’ signatures on Natasha suspension report were forged – Oshiomhole
Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that the signatures of at least three senators were either forged or wrongly included in the report that recommended the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Oshiomhole made the allegation on Monday during an interview on Africa Independent Television (AIT), while reacting to comments by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as one of the lowest points of the 10th Senate.
The former Edo State governor claimed that some lawmakers whose names appeared on the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had privately denied endorsing the document, insisting they neither signed nor approved its recommendations.
He specifically cited the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Ireti Kingibe, as one of those who reportedly distanced herself from the report.
“The committee conducts a hearing, and members are expected to sign the report to show endorsement. If you don’t agree, you can abstain from signing. But some senators said they did not sign, yet their names were published.
“People like Senator Ireti Kingibe told me, ‘I did not sign that report, but my name was published,’” Oshiomhole said.
He maintained that attaching lawmakers’ names to a committee report without their consent would amount to a breach of parliamentary procedure, stressing that a signature signifies agreement with the contents of a report.
“Where members do not accept the content, they can choose not to sign, because to sign is to endorse. One, two or three senators said, ‘We didn’t sign, but our names appeared,’” he added.
Oshiomhole further suggested that the controversy might be linked to the use of attendance records instead of actual signatures, although he insisted such a practice would be improper.
“Some people say maybe they attached an attendance register, which is not the appropriate thing to do. But that is not my concern. If Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said so, I think it should be taken seriously,” he said.
The allegation has renewed attention on the controversial suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, which has continued to generate debate within and outside the National Assembly.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was suspended in March 2025 after being found guilty of alleged gross misconduct and unruly behaviour based on the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
Her suspension followed a prolonged dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she had accused of victimisation and other alleged improprieties. The Senate, however, maintained that the disciplinary action was strictly based on her conduct during plenary and unrelated to her allegations.
The sanction included the suspension of her salary and allowances, closure of her office within the National Assembly complex, and restriction from accessing the legislative chamber for six months.
Bamidele recently reignited controversy on the matter when he described the suspension as one of the most regrettable moments of the current Senate, prompting fresh scrutiny of the process that led to the disciplinary action.
Oshiomhole’s claims are expected to further intensify calls for transparency over the committee’s proceedings and the authenticity of the report that formed the basis of the suspension.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions nor the Senate leadership had responded to the allegation. Efforts to get a reaction from the media aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Eseme Eyiboh, were unsuccessful.
Source: The Punch