Senator Adams Oshiomhole has moved to calm the growing controversy surrounding his comments on the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that he never alleged signature forgery, even as he expressed regrets over any embarrassment caused to the Senate.
The Edo State former governor spoke following public reactions to his remarks during an appearance on the Channels Television programme, Politics Today, which some interpreted as suggesting irregularities in the handling of the committee report that preceded Akpoti-Uduaghan's suspension.
In the meantime, a group, Think Yoruba First (TYF), has described the Senate leadership's voiding of the arrest warrant for the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, as a setback to accountability and transparency in the management of public resources.
In a statement yesterday by the TYF General Secretary, Dr Bukola Adeniji, the group said it was closely monitoring the controversy surrounding the investigation into the NNPCL financial records by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, and the subsequent cancellation of the warrant against Kyari.
Seeking to put the matter to rest, Oshiomhole described as false and a distortion of his position the claims that he alleged that senators forged signatures. According to him, no senator ever informed him that his or her signature had been forged, and he therefore had no basis to make such an allegation.
Rather, he explained that he merely referenced a claim by a member of the committee who had raised concerns that attendance signatures of some senators were attached to the committee's final report.
"I agree absolutely with the Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, that no signature of any senator was forged," Oshiomhole stated.
He stressed that the controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan's suspension had effectively been concluded and that the Senate had since shifted attention to other legislative matters.
Also providing context to the interview, he explained that his remarks arose from a discussion about an alleged statement credited to Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who reportedly described the Natasha suspension episode as the lowest point in the life of the 10th Senate.
Oshiomhole said his response was simply that such a comment should be taken seriously if indeed it came from the Senate Leader, whom he described as someone not known for making frivolous remarks.
In what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture, however, the former labour leader expressed regret over any unintended consequences of his comments, saying he would not want his remarks interpreted in a manner that could undermine the integrity of individual senators or the institution of the Senate.
"Finally, I regret if my comments may have caused embarrassment to any senator or the 10th Senate as an institution," he said.
Meanwhile, TYF recalled that the Senate Committee on Public Accounts had on June 10 reportedly issued a warrant for Kyari's arrest over the discrepancies allegedly discovered in the NNPCL's financial records between 2017 and 2023.
The group said the probe reportedly uncovered about N210 trillion in unaccounted funds, an amount it noted was more than three times Nigeria's 2026 budget of N68.32 trillion.
It added that the committee had directed the NNPCL to refund the amount to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and resolved to issue a warrant after Kyari allegedly failed to honour several invitations since the commencement of the investigation.
Reacting to the Senate's voiding of the warrant, TYF said it reflected a pattern of politically influential individuals being protected from scrutiny, adding that the move undermined public confidence in democratic institutions and reinforced perceptions of different standards of justice between ordinary citizens and politically connected individuals.
Consequently, the group called on the Senate to reverse its position and allow due process, insisting that Kyari should appear before appropriate authorities to answer questions arising from the investigation.
