Oshiomhole Clarifies Remarks on Natasha Suspension, Denies Forgery Allegation

Oshiomhole Clarifies Remarks on Natasha Suspension, Denies Forgery Allegation

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has denied allegations that he accused members of the Senate of forging signatures during the process that led to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that his remarks on the matter were misrepresented.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District said comments he made during an appearance on AIT’s Politics Today were wrongly interpreted, creating the false impression that he questioned the authenticity of signatures attached to a Senate committee report.

According to Oshiomhole, he never alleged that any senator’s signature was forged during the proceedings that culminated in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.

“The insinuation that I said signatures of senators were forged is a complete misrepresentation of what I actually said,” the former Edo State governor stated.

The senator emphasized that he fully agreed with Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu that no senator’s signature was forged in the process leading to the suspension of the Kogi Central lawmaker.

Oshiomhole explained that no senator had approached him with complaints about forged signatures. Rather, the only point he raised during the television interview was a claim allegedly made by a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions.

According to him, the committee member had suggested that signatures from an attendance register may have been attached to the committee’s final report, a claim that differs from allegations of outright forgery.

“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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“Any suggestion to the effect that I alleged that any senator’s signature was forged is completely untrue and should be disregarded.”

The controversy emerged after reports circulated claiming that Oshiomhole had questioned the authenticity of signatures contained in the committee report that recommended Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. The reports triggered reactions within the Senate and fueled public debate over the circumstances surrounding the disciplinary action.

Oshiomhole further clarified that the issue arose during a discussion on claims by the programme’s interviewer that Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele had described the Natasha suspension controversy as “the lowest point of the three years of the 10th Senate.”

Responding to that assertion during the interview, Oshiomhole said that if Bamidele indeed made such a statement, it deserved serious consideration because the Senate Leader was not known for making frivolous remarks.

The senator, however, maintained that the matter had since been resolved and that the Senate had moved on from the controversy.

The suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan remains one of the most talked-about issues in the 10th Senate. The Kogi Central senator was suspended following recommendations by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions after a dispute involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The development sparked widespread reactions from political stakeholders, legal experts and civil society groups, with debates continuing over the legality and implications of the suspension.

Seeking to put the matter to rest, Oshiomhole reiterated that no senator informed him that any signature had been forged and expressed regret over any misunderstanding that may have arisen from his comments.

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

His clarification is expected to ease tensions generated by the controversy and reinforce the Senate leadership’s position that due process was followed in handling the suspension case.

Oshiomhole Clarifies Remarks on Natasha Suspension, Denies Forgery Allegation