The Nigerian Senate has dismissed allegation of forged signatures in the incidents that led to the suspension of Kogi Central lawmaker, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, said the allegation of forgery by the Senator of Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole is not true at all.

Oshiomhole had alleged that signatures of not less than three lawmakers were forged or improperly inserted in the report recommending the six-month suspension of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The claim followed comments by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as one of the lowest moments of the 10th Senate.

The ex-Edo State governor made the disclosure while speaking in an interview on AIT, on Monday, saying some of the senators whose names appeared in the report told him in private that they had neither signed the document nor endorsed its recommendations.

But Adaramodu dismissed Oshiomhole’s claim in a telephone chat with The Cable on Tuesday.

“That’s not true. “You’re forging signatures, for what?” he said.

He also stated that Senator Ireti Kingibe, whose name was mentioned by Oshiomhole, did not complain to the Senate.

“Senators are independent-minded,” he said, and the allegations of a supposed forgery are very strange.

“If she has any objection to any process she would report same on the floor of the senate and not to an individual,” he said.

“But that is not even the case because I sat on the ethics and public petitions committee that heard the matter.

“Nobody will say that he or she was coerced or forged of somebody’s signature. That has never happened in the senate and it can’t happen. Never happened.

“Senators are people of independent mind. We’re grown men and women. And if you have any infraction against anybody, that person can without any advocate from anywhere, that person will show. So, there’s nothing like that. I’ve heard it for the first time. “That’s very weird,” Adaramodu said.

When asked if the Senate would endorse Oshiomhole over the allegations, Adaramodu said the chamber would first examine the remarks before taking a stand.

“We will look at any comments he has made. The senate will give a cursory look to extraneous, spontaneous or intentional comments by any senator, appropriately.

“We are going to investigate. We’re going to make a stand and everyone’s going to know where we stand. But we can say there has not been a report by any senator that his or her senator has been forged in the Natasha matter.

It was debated openly on the floor of the senate at the plenary session in the full glare of every Nigerian and even the international audience so there is nothing to hide.

All Nigerians knew our position at that time on the issue of Natasha… that she had violated the orders of the senate. And we are orderly because we are bounded by orders of the senate,” he said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 on allegations of gross misconduct and unruly behaviour after a disagreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The post “Very Strange” – Senate Denies Forgery Allegation Raised by Oshiomhole in Natasha’s Suspension Case appeared first on TheNigerian.

The Senate has passed for third reading a bill seeking the establishment of a National Agency for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria and other related matters. The sponsor, Senator Ned Nwoko (APC Delta North) declared that it is “practicable and achievable”.

This was sequel to the consideration and adoption of the report presented by the chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Secondary and Tertiary, Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo (APC Rivers West) during plenary.

Senator Banigo, speaking at the presentation of the report, stated that the proposed agency, when established, will be responsible for coordinating all national efforts in the prevention, control and eventual eradication of malaria.

When established, the agency will help shift the country’s approach from curative to preventive or elimination, she said, adding that for nationwide operation, zonal and state offices of the agency shall be established and driven by a strategic plan backed by law, science and accountability.

“This is a milestone in the war against malaria, the most common disease in this part of the world,” he said.

Reacting to the passage of the bill, Nwoko told journalists that the agency is possible and will make Nigeria the first country in Africa to be malaria-free.

“I went to Antarctica with some of my legislative aides in the course of my research on the elimination of malaria and I came up with the bill which was passed for second reading in May last year and third reading by the Senate today.

“We can wipe out or eliminate malaria in Nigeria through a special agency for that purpose,” he said.

“The agency when it is established, shall see to the elimination of malaria in Nigeria through effective waste management, fumigation and research on vaccine,” he said.

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The Nigerian Senate says it is not aware of any allegation concerning a reported transaction of ₦68 million allegedly linked to the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe.

The clarification followed a businessman, Nonso Okafor’s allegation that he was persuaded in October 2024 to pay the lawmaker $100,000 through a senior legislative aide, Osereme Christen Omofoma.

He told me the money would be either returned or balanced out with federal government contracts.

Okafor through his lawyer, Elochukwu Obi, later petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the issue.

The senator at the centre of the allegation had earlier dismissed the claims, calling it false and an attempt to tarnish her image. But the businessman has stood by his story, saying his account was accurate.

Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, told Guardian that the Senate had no record of such case.

He said the legislature does not interfere in the personal business of the legislators outside their official duties.

The Senate, he said, focuses on its core functions – lawmaking, oversight and representation – and considers only issues that are formally presented to it.

Adaramodu declared that the allegation of abuse of office is still an allegation, adding that the Senate can only act on issues officially presented to it.

He said: “We have no such case before us. We don’t know that. We don’t go into the personal involvement of senators outside the chambers and the National Assembly.

“That’s an allegation. We have no such case in hand. We can only speak of what is in front of us. “We care about anything relating to law-making, oversight and representation.

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