From Victor Osula, Abuja
Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has clarified his earlier remarks on the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, denying reports that he accused the members of the Senate of forging signatures in the process that led to her suspension.
The clarification came amid growing controversy following reports that Oshiomhole had alleged that signatures of some lawmakers were improperly included in the committee report that recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension, triggering fresh scrutiny over the integrity of the disciplinary process in the Senate.
In a disclaimer personally signed and dated June 16, 2026, Oshiomhole said his comments made during an interview on AIT Politics Today on Monday had been misrepresented, stressing that he never alleged that any senator’s signature was forged.
“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 records straight, I wish to make the following clarifications”, Oshiomhole stated.
Rejecting the widespread interpretation of his remarks, the senator insisted that suggestions he accused fellow lawmakers of signature forgery were completely false.
“The insinuation that I said signatures of Senators were forged is a complete misrepresentation of what I actually said”, he stressed.
Oshiomhole also aligned himself with the earlier position taken by Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, who had maintained that no lawmaker reported any case of forgery in connection with the suspension proceedings.
“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”, he added.
Clarifying what he actually meant during the television interview, Oshiomhole explained that his comments were limited to information allegedly given to him by a member of the committee involved in the suspension process.
According to him, the unnamed senator claimed that signatures recorded for attendance by some lawmakers were attached to the final committee report, a statement he said had now been misconstrued in public discourse.
“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.
The senator further stated that from his perspective, the controversy surrounding Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension had already been settled and that the Senate had since moved on from the matter.
He explained that the context of his original comments was linked to a remark reportedly made by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who allegedly described the Natasha suspension controversy as the lowest point in the three-year history of the 10th Senate.
Oshiomhole said his response during the interview simply reflected his view that if the Senate Leader indeed made such a statement, it deserved to be taken seriously.
“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 noted.
Reiterating his position, the lawmaker again stressed that no senator had approached him to complain that his or her signature was forged in relation to the disciplinary process.
“Once again, I emphasise that no Senator told me that his or her signature was forged”, he added.
In what appeared to be an effort to calm tensions generated by the controversy, Oshiomhole expressed regret over any embarrassment his remarks may have caused fellow senators or the institution itself.
“Finally, I regret if my comments may have caused embarrassment to any Senator or the 10th Senate as an institution”, he concluded.
Oshiomhole’s clarification came after the Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed on Tuesday that the Senate leadership would examine Oshiomhole’s comments and take an official position after reviewing the claims.
Adaramodu said the chamber would not ignore statements made by any senator concerning matters affecting its integrity and internal processes.
“We are going to review any statements made by him (Oshiomhole). 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 stated.
