Oshiomhole denies that senators’ signatures were forged in Natasha’s suspension saga

Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, has denied media reports quoting him as saying that the signatures of some senators listed on the recommendation for the suspension of Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, were forged.

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Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, said the reports were based on a misinterpretation and misrepresentation of his comments during an interview on Monday on AIT’s Politics Today.

He clarified in a statement on Tuesday.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate in March 2025 for six months on the recommendation of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, which found her guilty of defying the chamber’s seating arrangement and engaging in alleged misconduct during plenary on 20 February 2025.

Before the committee recommended her suspension, the Kogi senator had accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexually harassing her despite his friendship with her husband.

The suspension sparked controversy at the time, with many calling for Mr Akpabio’s removal. Last Monday, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, acknowledged that the whole issue had distracted the Senate.

Denial

Mr Oshiomhole said he stood by everything that transpired during the suspension process, noting that the only concern he raised during the interview was that a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions had complained that attendance signatures of some senators were attached to the committee’s final report.

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

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“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 their signature was forged. The only comment I made was that one Senator, who is a member of the Committee, “claimed” that the attendance signatures of some Senators were attached to the final report. Any suggestion to the effect that I alleged that any Senator’s signature was forged is completely untrue and should be disregarded,” he said.

Mr Oshiomhole maintained that although the issue of Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension had long been settled, he was merely responding to questions regarding comments reportedly made by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.

“As far as I am concerned, the issue of suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been put to rest, and the Senate has since moved on. The context in which I commented on Senator Natasha Akpoti’s issue was the AIT interviewer’s claim that Senate Leader Distinguished Senator Bamidele Opeyemi referred to the matter as the “lowest point of the three years of the 10th Senate,” to which I replied that “if indeed the Senate Leader said so, yes, it should be taken seriously, because he is not given to frivolities.

“Once again, I emphasise that no Senator told me that their signature was forged. Finally, I regret if my comments may have caused embarrassment to any Senator or the 10th Senate as an institution,” he said.