No Senator’s signature was forged in Natasha Akpoti’s suspension — Senate spokesman counters Oshiomhole

The spokesman of the Nigerian Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, has dismissed claims by Adams Oshiomhole that signatures were forged in the process that led to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Mr Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, had alleged during an interview on AIT that some lawmakers whose names appeared on the report recommending Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension did not append their signatures to the document.

He specifically cited Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, claiming she told him that she only signed the attendance register at the committee meeting and not the report recommending the suspension.

However, speaking in a telephone interview with TheCable on Tuesday, Mr Adaramodu described the allegation as false and insisted that no senator had raised concerns about forged signatures.

“That is not true. Signatures forged, over what?” Adaramodu said.

He maintained that if any senator had reservations about the procedure, such concerns would have been formally raised before the Senate.

“If Senator Kingibe had anything against any procedure, she would report it on the floor of the Senate, not to an individual,” he said.

“But it is not even true because I was part of the Ethics and Public Petitions Committee that handled the matter.

“Nobody will say that he or she was coerced or that 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. If there is any infraction against anybody, that person can, without any advocate from anywhere, raise the issue. So there’s nothing like that. I’m just hearing it for the first time. That’s very strange.”

Mr Adaramodu also disclosed that the Senate would review Oshiomhole’s remarks and determine its position on the matter.

“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,” he said.

“We are going to look into it. We will take a stand and everyone will know where we stand. But we can say that no senator has reported that his or her signature was forged during the Natasha matter.”

He further noted that the decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan was reached through an open and transparent process.

“It was debated on the floor of the Senate openly during plenary, in the full glare of every Nigerian and even the international audience, so there was nothing to hide.

“All Nigerians knew where we stood then on the issue of Natasha, that she ran foul of the Senate’s rules. And we are orderly because we are bound by the rules and orders of the Senate,” he added.