Senator Kingibe Denies Access to Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Suspension Report

Ireti Kingibe, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, has revealed that she was never privy to the committee document that resulted in the suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator for Kogi Central. Senator Kingibe conveyed this information on Wednesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time program.

The FCT Senator explained that her absence from the report's consideration stemmed from her attendance at a critical retreat focused on tax reforms, which prevented her from reviewing the document. She quoted, "I never saw the report that led to Natasha’s suspension. I was at a retreat. I had earlier stated that I was there with three or four other senators who are members of the committee," she affirmed.

Senator Kingibe elaborated that while she did participate in a session of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, where she signed the attendance register, she later departed to attend the tax reform retreat. She emphasized that this retreat was of greater importance to her constituents. She further stated, "We attended the Committee on Petitions and Public Complaints, signed the attendance register, and I later left for the tax reform retreat, which I considered more important at the time. 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 explained.

She further revealed that she had expressed her concerns about not having sight of the report to several colleagues, singling out Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. Kingibe quoted, "I even complained to other senators, specifically to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. I complained to him very bitterly that I had not seen that report. I didn’t see it then. I have not seen it till now," she reiterated.

The Senate's decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously ignited extensive public discourse and legal disputes, with numerous critics challenging the procedural integrity of the disciplinary action and its broader ramifications for legislative accountability and representation. Senator Kingibe's recent remarks introduce a new perspective to the ongoing controversy, implying that certain legislators involved in the committee's deliberations may not have had access to the foundational report underpinning the Senate's resolution. This development follows Monday's allegations by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, who claimed that signatures of at least three senators were either falsified or improperly appended to the report recommending Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension. Oshiomhole's claims emerged after Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader, characterized Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension as one of the 10th Senate's most regrettable episodes.