Oshiomhole Raises Alarm Over Alleged Irregularities In Natasha Suspension Report

According to Ireporter Online, the Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that the signatures of at least three lawmakers were either forged or improperly appended to the report that recommended the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Oshiomhole made the allegation while reacting to remarks by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who had earlier described the suspension as one of the most controversial moments of the 10th Senate. Speaking during an interview on AIT, the former Edo State governor claimed that some senators whose names appeared on the report privately informed him that they neither signed nor endorsed the document.

He specifically referenced Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, who he said expressed shock that her name was included despite not appending her signature. According to him, while committee members are expected to either sign in support or abstain, the emergence of names without corresponding signatures raises questions about the authenticity of the process.

Oshiomhole further suggested that attendance records may have been wrongly used in place of formal endorsement signatures, a practice he described as inappropriate in legislative proceedings. He maintained that signing a report signifies agreement with its contents and insisted that any deviation undermines due process.

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 over allegations of gross misconduct and unruly behaviour linked to her repeated accusations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The suspension led to her removal from the National Assembly complex, the stoppage of her salary and allowances, and the sealing of her office.