The G-60 Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has dismissed allegations that signatures attached to the nomination of Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader were forged, insisting that all endorsements were voluntarily signed by lawmakers.
The caucus made the clarification in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Chairman, Hon. Mukhtar Umar, and the Secretary, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi.
The statement comes as a response to claims by the Deputy House Spokesperson, Hon. Philip Agbese, during plenary that his signature on the nomination document had been forged.
According to the group, 61 out of the 81 members of the Minority Caucus willingly endorsed Ugochinyere’s nomination to fill the vacancy created by the exit of former Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and later emerged as the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State.
The lawmakers described Agbese’s allegation as false and misleading, maintaining that he personally participated in the process that led to the collection of signatures in support of Ugochinyere.
They further claimed to possess video evidence showing Agbese signing the nomination document and said the footage would be made public in the interest of transparency and accountability.
“Contrary to claims made by Hon. Philip Agbese at plenary, all signatures appended to the nomination document were voluntarily provided by the lawmakers concerned.
“We note with concern the allegation by Hon. Philip Agbese that his signature was forged on the endorsement list.
“This claim is false and misleading. To establish the facts and dispel any misinformation, video evidence exists showing Hon. Agbese personally signing the nomination document and it will be sent out with this statement in the interest of transparency and accountability,” the statement said.
The caucus urged the public and the media to disregard allegations of forgery, stressing that the nomination process was transparent, democratic and backed by verifiable evidence.
The group also warned against attempts to discredit what it described as a legitimate process, reiterating its commitment to due process, unity and the collective interest of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
