By Gift ChapiOdekina

Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has maintained that his signature was unlawfully used to endorse Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere for the position of Minority Leader, describing the action as forgery and insisting he never supported the lawmaker’s nomination.

In a statement issued on Friday, Agbese said his signature was appended to a document for a different purpose but was later used without his authorisation to back Ugochinyere’s bid for the minority leadership position.

The lawmaker, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, said his position remained unchanged following a presentation he made on the floor of the House on Thursday under Order 6 Rule 2.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I signed a document with Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere for a specific purpose. However, my signature was later used for an entirely different and unauthorised purpose, the purported endorsement of Hon. Ugochinyere as Minority Leader of the House. I did not, at any point, endorse him for that position,” Agbese stated.

He argued that the use of his signature for a purpose other than the one for which it was obtained amounted to forgery, stressing that he would not allow his endorsement to be used in any manner that could compromise the integrity of the House.

Agbese cited what he described as the desperation of some individuals to secure his signature, Ugochinyere’s alleged controversial political history, and claims that the lawmaker had boasted of possessing materials capable of blackmailing members of the House leadership as reasons for his refusal to support the nomination.

The lawmaker also referred to reports alleging that members were induced to sign documents connected to the endorsement and were subsequently offered additional incentives after a confrontation on the House floor.

Without providing evidence for the allegations, Agbese maintained that Ugochinyere was the one facing scrutiny over the controversy.

He, however, expressed readiness to appear before any committee of the House investigating the matter and called for a transparent and impartial review of the dispute.

“I remain open and willing to appear before any relevant Committee of the House for a full, transparent, and impartial review of all the facts surrounding this issue,” he said.

Agbese urged all parties involved to allow the House’s internal mechanisms and due process to determine the facts, saying the outcome would serve the interests of truth, institutional integrity and the unity of the Minority Caucus.