I didn't agree to report asking for Akpoti-Uduaghan's suspension, Ireti Kingibe

Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory, said she did not support the report that suggested suspending Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. She was surprised to see her name and signature on the document.

Mrs Kingibe, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), explained that on the day the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions approved the recommendation, she and about four other committee members were at a retreat for the Tax Reform Bills.

She shared this information during an interview on Arise News Prime Time on Tuesday. This came after Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole made comments on AIT’s Politics Today.

Senator Oshiomhole mentioned that some senators said they did not support the recommendation for Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. But later, he denied saying that senators’ signatures were faked, even though he noted that some lawmakers claimed their names appeared on the report without their agreement. He specifically included Mrs Kingibe among those who had concerns.

During the interview on Arise News, Mrs Kingibe confirmed that she told Mr Oshiomhole at the time that she did not support the committee's report. She only signed the attendance register.

"I did tell everybody that I was not there. We were together at the retreat, and I did complain publicly. I wasn’t there. I was at the retreat with him (Oshiomhole). He (Oshiomhole) came to meet me there and when I heard about the report, I said, ‘But we were here’.

"Myself and three or four other senators that were on that committee, we went to the Committee on Public Petitions and Complaints and we signed attendance and I left to go to the Tax Reform Retreat because that, I thought, was much more important. It affects my constituents much more than disciplining a senator and I figured that the other people who were not part of that committee would take care of it,” she stated.

Even though she confirmed that she did not sign the report, Mrs Kingibe said she was not blaming anyone for forgery.

"I even complained to other senators, specifically, Senator Abaribe. I complained to him very bitterly that I have not seen that report, I didn’t see it then and I haven’t seen it till now. But I did not say anybody forged my signature. I couldn’t have endorsed the committee report; I didn’t see it,” she said.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate in March 2025 for six months. The Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions found her guilty of ignoring the Senate’s seating arrangement and behaving improperly during plenary on 20 February 2025.

Before the committee suggested her suspension, the Kogi senator accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her, despite his friendship with her husband. This suspension caused a lot of debate, with many people calling for Mr Akpabio to be removed.

Last Monday, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele admitted that the situation distracted the Senate at that time.

Mrs Kingibe also mentioned that the events leading to Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension could have been avoided if she had apologized during plenary and continued with her work in the Senate.

She pointed out that there have been times when senators apologized after breaking Senate rules and were allowed to continue without facing more punishment.

"I have apologized after throwing a tantrum. Senator Ndume does it all the time, and we don’t get suspended because immediately we are done, we realize that we have contravened the laws and rules of that particular place that we chose to be part of. And we do the necessary thing by apologizing and it’s over. It took as long as it did because it was absolutely unnecessary. Senator Natasha could have apologized,” she said.