Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed claims that he alleged senators’ signatures were forged during the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said his remarks during an interview on AIT’s Politics Today on June 15 had been misrepresented, stressing that he never accused anyone of forging the signatures of senators.
According to him, the suggestion that he alleged forged signatures is completely false and does not reflect what he said during the interview.
Oshiomhole stated that he agrees with Senate spokesperson Senator Yemi Adaramodu that no senator’s signature was forged in relation to Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, noting that no senator had ever complained to him about such an issue.
He explained that his only reference was to a claim allegedly made by a member of the committee that attendance signatures of some senators were attached to the committee’s final report. He maintained that this should not be interpreted as an allegation of forgery.
The former Edo State governor said the matter surrounding Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension had already been concluded and that the Senate had moved on from the controversy.
Oshiomhole further clarified that his comments arose during a discussion about a reported statement by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who was said to have described the incident as the “lowest point” of the 10th Senate. He said his response was simply that such a remark should be taken seriously if indeed it came from the Senate Leader.
Reaffirming his position, Oshiomhole stressed that no senator informed him that his or her signature had been forged and urged the public to disregard reports suggesting otherwise.
He also expressed regret if his comments created any embarrassment for individual senators or the 10th Senate as an institution.
