Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has distanced herself from the Senate committee report that recommended the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying she was shocked to discover that a photocopy of her signature appeared on the document.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, Kingibe said she never reviewed or endorsed the report and used the opportunity to criticise what she described as the National Assembly’s failure to effectively check the powers of the executive arm of government.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the suspension of the Kogi Central senator, Kingibe explained that although she attended a meeting of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, she left shortly after to participate in a retreat on tax reforms, which she considered more important to her constituents.
According to the FCT senator, she neither saw the committee report nor had the opportunity to examine its contents before it was submitted.
I couldn’t have endorsed the committee report because I didn’t see it,” she said.
Kingibe revealed that she later became surprised when she noticed that a photocopy of her signature had been attached to the report.
She disclosed that she raised the issue with top Senate officials, including the Deputy Senate President, after being unable to access the document.
While stressing that she was not accusing anyone of forgery, Kingibe maintained that lawmakers should have enough time to scrutinise committee reports before appending their signatures.
The senator faulted what she described as a culture in which reports are sometimes signed without adequate examination, warning that such practices undermine transparency and accountability within the legislature.
The truth of the matter is there are many things that I feel should not be the way they are,she stated.
According to her, the controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension could have been handled differently.
Kingibe argued that disciplinary matters involving lawmakers were traditionally resolved through apologies rather than prolonged suspensions.
She noted that senators who violate parliamentary rules often admit their mistakes and apologise to colleagues, bringing disputes to an end.
The lawmaker added that the controversy over Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension lasted longer than necessary and suggested that an apology could have resolved the matter much earlier.
Beyond the suspension controversy, Kingibe expressed concern over what she described as the increasing loss of independence by the National Assembly.
According to her, the legislature has gradually transformed into a “cooperating arm” of the executive rather than functioning as an institution charged with oversight and accountability.
I don’t think the Senate is performing its constitutional role effectively as a check on executive power,” she said.
The senator argued that many decisions often blamed solely on the Presidency could not have succeeded without the approval or acquiescence of lawmakers.
Kingibe’s remarks come amid growing public debate over the relationship between the executive and legislative arms under the current administration and renewed scrutiny of the Senate’s handling of the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan suspension saga.
