Senator Kingibe Claims Ignorance of Report Behind Akpoti-Uduaghan's Suspension

Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, has voiced concerns about the process behind Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan's suspension, stating she never saw the committee report that recommended the disciplinary action. Kingibe made these remarks during an interview on Arise Television's Prime Time program.

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I never saw the report that led to Natasha’s suspension. I was at a retreat.

Kingibe explained that she was attending a retreat focused on tax reforms when the Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions Committee considered the report. She emphasized that she had signed the attendance register for the committee session but left early for the retreat, which she considered a higher priority for her constituents' interests. "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.

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I had earlier stated that I was there with three or four other senators who are members of the committee.

Adding to the controversy, Kingibe revealed that she had previously complained to colleagues, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, about her lack of access to the report. "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 said.

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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.

These comments from Senator Kingibe introduce a new layer to the public debate surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan's six-month suspension. They suggest that not all members of the committee had a full understanding or even sight of the report used as the basis for the Senate's decision. This follows earlier allegations by Senator Adams Oshiomhole that signatures on the report might have been forged or improperly included, further questioning the legitimacy of the suspension process.

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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.