Natasha Akpoti’s suspension: Oshiomole backs out amid brawl with Senate over forged signature

The controversy over the Senate Committee report that recommended the six-month suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan took a new turn on Tuesday as Adams Oshiomhole clarified that he never alleged that any senator’s signature was forged, while the Senate maintained that no such forgery occurred.

The clarification followed comments made by Oshiomhole during an interview on Africa Independent Television (AIT), where he questioned the process through which some senators’ names appeared on the report that recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.

Reacting to Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele’s description of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as one of the “lowest moments” of the 10th Senate, Oshiomhole had raised concerns about the committee report.

“The committee does a hearing; members are expected to sign the report to endorse it. If you don’t agree, you can abstain. But some said they didn’t sign, yet their names were published,” Oshiomhole said.

Citing an example, he added, “People like Senator Ireti Kingibe. She told me, ‘But I didn’t sign that report. But my name was published.'”

The Edo North senator further stated, “So, where many don’t accept the content, they could abstain from signing it because to sign is to endorse.

“One, two or three senators said, ‘We didn’t sign, but our names were there.’

“But how? Some say maybe they attached an attendance register, which is not the appropriate thing. But that’s not my problem. If Opeyemi said so, I think you should take it seriously.”

The remarks sparked reactions within the Senate, prompting a response from Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu, who dismissed any suggestion that signatures had been forged or improperly inserted.

“That is not true. Signatures forged, over what?” Adaramodu queried.

He insisted that no senator had complained about forged signatures.

“If Senator Kingibe had anything against any procedure, she would report it on the floor of the Senate, not to an individual,” he said.

Adaramodu further stated, “But it is not even true, because I was part of the Ethics and Public Petitions Committee that listened to the matter. Nobody will say that he or she was coerced or somebody’s signature was forged.

“That has never happened in the Senate and it cannot happen. It has never happened.”

On whether Oshiomhole could face sanctions over the comments, Adaramodu said the Senate would review the matter.

“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. But we can say no senator has reported that his or her signature was forged during the Natasha matter.”

He added that the suspension proceedings were conducted transparently.

“It was debated on the floor of the Senate openly at the plenary in the full glare of every Nigerian and even the international audience, and so nothing to hide.

“All Nigerians knew where we stood then on the issue of Natasha, that she ran foul of the Senate’s orders. And we are orderly because we are bounded by orders of the Senate.”

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday evening, 2026, titled, “I Did Not Allege That Signatures of Senators Were Forged,” Oshiomhole said his comments had been misconstrued.

“My attention has been brought to an obvious misrepresentation of the statement I made during the course of my interview on AIT ‘Politics Today’ broadcast on Monday, 15th June 2026. To set the record straight, I wish to make the following clarifications,” he said.

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

Oshiomhole expressly aligned himself with the position of the Senate spokesperson.

“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.”

Explaining his position, he said: “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.”

He stressed that reports suggesting he accused anyone of forgery were inaccurate.

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

The former Edo governor also sought to place his remarks in context, noting that he was responding to comments credited to 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.”

He explained further: “The context in which I made a comment on the 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 3 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.'”

Reiterating his position, Oshiomhole said: “Once again, I emphasise that no Senator told me that his or her signature was forged.”

He concluded with an expression of regret over the controversy generated by the remarks.

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

The latest clarification appears to have narrowed the dispute between Oshiomhole and the Senate from allegations of forgery to questions over whether attendance records were attached to the committee’s final report, a claim the Senate has not formally addressed.