Natasha: Senate set for showdown over Oshiomhole’s forgery claim

Fresh tensions are brewing within the Senate as lawmakers prepare to reconvene on Tuesday amid indications that the upper chamber may commence a formal probe into allegations made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole regarding the controversial suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Multiple sources within the National Assembly told our correspondent that the issue is expected to feature prominently when senators return for an emergency plenary session convened by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The development follows claims by Oshiomhole that signatures of some senators were either improperly attached to or appeared on the report that recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension, a position he later clarified, insisting that he never alleged that lawmakers’ signatures were forged.

Despite the clarification, sources disclosed that several high-ranking senators were unhappy with the controversy generated by the remarks and were pushing for the Senate to take an official position on the matter.

One of the sources said the emergency session called by the Senate President may provide an opportunity for the chamber to address the controversy and determine its next course of action.

“That explains why Akpabio called off the recess and summoned an emergency session under the guise of attending to the issue of rising insecurity across the country,” a source who craved anonymity said.

Although the Senate leadership has not officially confirmed that Oshiomhole’s comments will be discussed during the plenary, the Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, indicated that the chamber would not ignore allegations that question the integrity of its proceedings.

Speaking with our correspondent, Adaramodu said the Senate would examine the comments and decide on an appropriate response.

He said, “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. Such an allegation is spurious, bewildering and unthinkable.

“No Senator, at any time, either in Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension or any other matter, has the Senate forged the signature or misrepresented any senator.

“The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not believe that a senator can raise such an uncharitable allegation.

“The business of the Senate is conducted in the open chamber at the plenary in the full glare of the media and willing Nigerians. And decisions are taken on any matter after exhaustive debates, including disciplinary issues.

“The public should disregard and treat this as an ignoble outburst. We are going to look into it and take a stand. But no senator has reported that his or her signature was forged during the Natasha matter.”

The latest development comes barely days after Oshiomhole issued a public clarification over comments he made during a television interview that reignited debate over the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In a statement released last week, the former Edo State governor denied accusing the Senate or any lawmaker of forging signatures in the report that formed the basis of the Kogi Central senator’s suspension.

According to him, his comments had been misconstrued and taken out of context.

“The insinuation that I said signatures of senators were forged is a complete misrepresentation of what I actually said.

“I agree absolutely with the spokesperson of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Yemi Adaramodu, that no signature of senators was forged in Natasha Akpoti’s suspension. This is because no senator complained to me that his or her signature was forged.

“The only comment I made is that one senator, who is a member of the committee, claimed that the signatures of attendance of some senators were attached to the final report,” Oshiomhole said.

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The Edo North senator added that any suggestion that he accused anyone of forging signatures was “completely untrue” and should be disregarded.

Oshiomhole further stated that the matter concerning Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension had been concluded and that the Senate had since moved on.

“Finally, I regret if my comments may have caused embarrassment to any senator or the 10th Senate as an institution,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has also thrown her weight behind Oshiomhole’s claim, saying that she never saw the committee report that led to the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Kingibe disclosed this when she was featured as a guest on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time.

According to the FCT senator, she was attending a retreat on tax reforms when the report was being considered and therefore did not have the opportunity to review it.

“I never saw the report that led to Natasha’s suspension. I was at a retreat. I had earlier stated that I was there with three or four other senators who are members of the committee,” she said.

Kingibe explained that she only attended a session of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, signed the attendance register and subsequently left for the retreat, which she considered more critical to the interests of her constituents.

The senator further disclosed that she had complained to some of her colleagues about not having access to the report, specifically mentioning Enyinnaya Abaribe.

“I even complained to other senators, specifically to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. I complained to him very bitterly that I had not seen that report. I didn’t see it then. I have not seen it till now,” she added.

Kingibe’s comments add a fresh dimension to the controversy, suggesting that not all lawmakers involved in the committee proceedings had access to the report that formed the basis of the Senate’s decision.

The controversy began on Monday when Oshiomhole, during an interview on Africa Independent Television, alleged that the signatures of at least three senators were either forged or improperly attached to the report that recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension.

The former governor claimed that some lawmakers whose names appeared on the document had privately informed him that they neither signed nor endorsed the recommendations contained in the report.

He specifically referenced Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory, as one of the lawmakers who allegedly raised concerns about the document.

The allegation immediately triggered fresh controversy around the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, which remains one of the most contentious decisions taken by the 10th Senate.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 following the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which found her guilty of alleged gross misconduct and unruly behaviour.

The suspension came amid a highly publicised dispute between the Kogi Central senator and Senate President Akpabio.

While Akpoti-Uduaghan accused the Senate President of victimisation and other improprieties, the Senate maintained that its disciplinary action was based solely on violations of Senate rules and had no connection with her allegations against Akpabio.

The sanctions imposed on the lawmaker included the withdrawal of her salaries and allowances, closure of her National Assembly office and restriction from accessing the legislative complex throughout the suspension period.

The matter returned to public attention recently after Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the suspension episode as one of the lowest moments of the 10th Senate.