The controversy surrounding the suspension of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has taken a fresh turn after FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe revealed that she never reviewed the report that informed the Senate’s decision.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Kingibe said she was away attending a tax reform retreat when deliberations on the matter took place.
“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 said.
According to the lawmaker, she briefly attended the committee session before leaving for the retreat, which she considered more relevant to the needs of her constituents.
“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 said.
Kingibe also disclosed that she repeatedly sought access to the document after learning of the outcome but was unable to obtain it. She said she even raised the issue with fellow lawmakers, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
“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 added.
Her comments come amid growing scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. The debate intensified earlier this week when Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole questioned the authenticity of some signatures attached to the committee report, while Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the disciplinary action as one of the most regrettable episodes of the current Senate.
