•Oshiomhole
Former Edo State governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed reports suggesting he alleged forgery of senators’ signatures in relation to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a statement issued last night and sighted by The Frontier, Oshiomhole said media interpretations of his comments during an appearance on AIT’s ‘Politics Today’ had misrepresented his position, making it appear as though he accused lawmakers of forging signatures used in the process that led to the senator’s suspension.
The controversy follows heightened political debate surrounding the suspension of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a development that has continued to generate discussion within legislative and political circles.
Oshiomhole maintained that at no point did he accuse any senator of forgery, adding that his remarks were consistent with the position earlier expressed by Senate spokesperson Senator Yemi Adaramodu Yemi Adaramodu, who had stated that no signature was forged in the process.
He further noted that no senator had raised any complaint to him alleging that their signature was forged, insisting that his comments had been taken out of context.
“The insinuation that I said signatures of senators were forged is a complete misrepresentation of what I actually said,” he stated.
“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 his or her signature was forged.”
The former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) explained that the only observation he made during the interview was that a member of the committee involved had claimed that signatures recorded during attendance were attached to the committee’s final report.
“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. Any suggestion to the effect that I alleged that any senator’s signature was forged is completely untrue and should be disregarded,” he said.
Oshiomhole further stressed that, in his view, the matter surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension had been concluded and that the Senate had since moved on from the controversy.
“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 said.
He explained that his comments during the television interview were made in response to a reference by the programme’s anchor to an alleged remark by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who was said to have described the Natasha suspension episode as the “lowest point of the three years of the 10th Senate.”
Oshiomhole said he merely observed that such a comment should be taken seriously if indeed it was made by the Senate Leader.
“The context in which I made a comment on the Senator Natasha Akpoti issue was the interviewer’s claim that Senate Leader Distinguished Senator Opeyemi Bamidele 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, it should be taken seriously because he is not given to frivolities,” he explained.
The senator reiterated that no lawmaker informed him that his or her signature had been forged and expressed regret over any embarrassment his comments may have caused.
“Once again, I emphasise that no senator told me that his or her signature was forged.
“Finally, I regret if my comments may have caused embarrassment to any senator or the 10th Senate as an institution,” Oshiomhole stated.
The clarification is expected to ease tensions generated by the controversy, which had prompted reactions from the Senate leadership and renewed scrutiny of the events surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
