The senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that the signatures of at least three senators were either forged or improperly 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 while reacting to recent remarks by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who described the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan as one of the lowest moments of the 10th Senate.
The former Edo State governor claimed that several lawmakers whose names appeared on the report had privately informed him that they neither signed the document nor endorsed its recommendations.
According to him, one of the senators who raised concerns about the report was the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe.
“The committee does a hearing; members are expected to sign the report to endorse it. If you don’t agree, you can abstain. But some said they didn’t sign, yet their names were published.
“People like Senator Ireti Kingibe. She told me, ‘But I didn’t sign that report. But my name was published”, Oshiomhole stated.
He argued that including names without lawmakers’ consent would constitute a breach of parliamentary procedure, stressing that committee members are expected to sign reports only when they agree with their contents.
“So, where many don’t accept the content, they could abstain from signing it because to sign is to endorse. One, two or three senators said, ‘We didn’t sign, but our names were there,’” he said.
“But how? Some say maybe they attached an attendance register, which is not the appropriate thing. But that’s not my problem. If Opeyemi said so, I think you should take it seriously”, he argued.
The allegation comes amid renewed scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, whose disciplinary action has continued to generate controversy within and outside the National Assembly.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March 2025 after being found guilty of alleged gross misconduct and unruly behaviour.
The decision followed a report submitted by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
Her suspension came amid a highly publicised dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she had repeatedly accused of victimisation and other improprieties.
The Senate, however, maintained that the disciplinary measure was based solely on her conduct during plenary proceedings and not on her allegations against the Senate President.
The six-month suspension included the withdrawal of her salary and allowances, the closure of her office within the National Assembly complex, and a ban on access to legislative premises during the period.
Bamidele had recently stirred fresh debate on the matter when he described the suspension as one of the lowest moments of the current Senate, a remark that has reignited discussions about the handling of the case and the integrity of the committee report that informed the disciplinary action.
Oshiomhole’s latest claims are expected to intensify calls for transparency over the committee’s proceedings and the process that culminated in the suspension of the Kogi Central lawmaker.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions nor the Senate leadership had issued an official response to Oshiomhole’s allegations.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from Akpabio’s media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, were unsuccessful as calls and messages to his known contacts were not returned.
