Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Senate has refuted claims that the signatures of some senators who did not support the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan were included in the committee report that recommended the disciplinary action.
Truth Live News Media reports that the allegation was raised by the Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, during an interview on AIT.
According to Oshiomhole, the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, informed him that she only signed the attendance register at the committee meeting and did not endorse the report recommending Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
In a reaction, Senate spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu said such claim was strange as no senator raised such objection before the Red Chamber.
Adaramodu said, “If Senator Kingibe had anything against any procedure, she would report it on the floor of the senate, not to an individual.
“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.
“Senators are independent-minded people. We are mature men and women. And if you have any infraction against anybody, that person can, without any advocate from anywhere, that person will show it. So there’s nothing like that. I’m just hearing it for the first time. That’s very strange.”
However, he promised that the Senate would probe Oshiomhole’s comment to establish the veracity of the claim.
“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 senator was forged during the Natasha matter.
“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,” Adaramodu said.
