Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has questioned the authenticity of some signatures attached to the Senate committee report that resulted in the suspension of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Speaking during an interview with AIT, Oshiomhole claimed that the names of at least three senators appeared on the report despite their insistence that they neither signed nor approved the document.
His remarks came in response to comments by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who recently described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as one of the most regrettable incidents in the life of the current Senate.
According to Oshiomhole, several lawmakers whose names were listed as endorsing the report later told him they had not signed it.
He specifically cited Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory, saying she was surprised to discover that her name had been included among those who reportedly endorsed the committee’s findings.
“The committee conducts a hearing, and members are expected to sign the report if they agree with its recommendations. If they disagree, they can choose not to sign. But some senators said they did not sign the report, yet their names were published. People like Senator Ireti Kingibe told me, ‘I didn’t sign that report, but my name was published,’” Oshiomhole said.
The former Edo State governor argued that listing lawmakers as signatories without their consent would amount to a breach of parliamentary procedure, stressing that signatures signify endorsement of a committee report.
“Where members do not agree with the contents of a report, they are free to abstain from signing because signing means endorsement. One, two, or three senators said, ‘We didn’t sign, but our names appeared there.’ Some people suggested that an attendance register may have been attached instead, but that is not the proper procedure. If Senator Opeyemi Bamidele made those remarks, then they should be taken seriously,” he added.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March 2025 for six months over allegations of misconduct and unruly behaviour following a series of accusations she made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
As part of the disciplinary measures, the Kogi Central lawmaker was barred from entering the National Assembly complex, while her salaries and allowances were suspended and her office sealed for the duration of the sanction.
