The G-60 Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has dismissed allegations of forgery in the nomination of Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader, insisting that all signatures on the endorsement document were voluntarily appended by lawmakers.
The caucus was reacting to claims made during plenary on Thursday by the Deputy House Spokesperson, Hon. Philip Agbese, who alleged that his signature was forged on the nomination list submitted in support of Ugochinyere.
In a statement jointly signed by Hon. Mukhtar Umar and Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, the group described the allegation as “false and misleading,” maintaining that there was no fake signature on the document.
According to the lawmakers, 61 out of the 81 members of the Minority Caucus voluntarily endorsed Ugochinyere’s nomination to fill the vacancy created by the exit of former Minority Leader, Hon
Kingsley Chinda, following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and subsequent emergence as the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State.
The caucus further disclosed that video evidence exists showing Agbese personally signing the nomination document, adding that the footage would be made public to ensure transparency and set the record straight.
“We wish to categorically state that there was no forgery or fake signature in the nomination of Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader.
All signatures appended to the nomination document were voluntarily provided by the lawmakers concerned,” the statement read.
“To establish the facts and dispel any misinformation, video evidence exists showing Hon. Philip Agbese personally signing the nomination document. The footage will be released in the interest of transparency and accountability.”
The lawmakers urged the public and the media to disregard what they described as unfounded allegations of forgery and instead rely on verifiable facts surrounding the nomination process.
They reaffirmed their commitment to due process, internal democracy, and the collective interests of opposition lawmakers in the House, warning against attempts to undermine what they described as a transparent and democratic exercise.
The statement was jointly signed by Hon. Mukhtar Umar and Hon. Seyi Sowunmi on behalf of the G-60 Minority Caucus.
