You Forged It!” “No, I Didn’t!” — Reps Session Erupts Into Bitter Confrontation

A dramatic confrontation erupted in the House of Representatives on Thursday as Philip Agbese, the lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, and his colleague, Ikenga Ugochinyere, clashed over allegations of forgery linked to the race for Minority Leader.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The dispute began when Agbese raised a matter of personal privilege, accusing Ugochinyere of using his name and signature without permission on a document purportedly endorsing him for the opposition leadership position.

Addressing the House, Agbese said he was surprised to find a document circulating online bearing his name and signature in support of Ugochinyere’s bid for Minority Leader.

He explained that although he had engaged in discussions with several lawmakers, including Ugochinyere, those conversations focused on issues affecting minority lawmakers and constituency projects, not leadership endorsements.

“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery, with my signature being used for purposes for which it was never intended,” Agbese stated.

The Benue lawmaker called on the House leadership to investigate the matter, insisting that attempts were being made to damage his reputation.

He also denied reports suggesting that some lawmakers received $50,000 to support a particular candidate for the Minority Leader position.

“My constituents have been calling me. I have not received any amount of money from anybody, and I never will. This is about my integrity,” he said.

In response, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas acknowledged Agbese’s concerns and assured him that the allegations would be looked into.

“We will take appropriate action on the issue raised. However, I wish to remind all minority members that a closed-door meeting has been scheduled for 2 p.m. today to discuss these matters further,” the Speaker said.

Tensions escalated moments later when Ugochinyere sought permission to make a personal explanation, arguing that the allegations made against him publicly and on live television required an immediate response.

The Imo lawmaker strongly denied forging Agbese’s signature, claiming instead that Agbese personally signed the nomination document supporting his aspiration for Minority Leader.

According to Ugochinyere, Agbese attended a meeting where the endorsement was discussed and voluntarily appended his signature in the presence of several lawmakers who could testify to the event.

His remarks immediately drew a sharp reaction from Agbese, who repeatedly interrupted him, shouting, “I never did that!”

The exchange quickly descended into a heated shouting match as supporters of both lawmakers joined the argument, forcing Speaker Abbas to repeatedly call for order while some members attempted to calm tensions in the chamber.

Despite the uproar, Ugochinyere maintained that his aspiration had the support of the majority of opposition lawmakers.

“I understand that an overwhelming majority of 61 out of 81 opposition members elected me. It may not sit well with some people, but I never imagined their desperation would reach this level,” he said.

He dismissed the forgery allegation as a “treacherous lie” and pledged to present witnesses who were present when the nomination document was allegedly signed.

The Speaker once again intervened, urging members to refrain from further arguments and allow the matter to be addressed during the scheduled Minority Caucus meeting.

Before calm was fully restored, another lawmaker raised a point of order, arguing that Ugochinyere’s claim of being elected by opposition lawmakers should not form part of the official House record since the matter had not been formally presented before the chamber.

The lawmaker maintained that only the opposition caucus had the authority to officially determine and communicate its leadership decisions to the House, stressing that Ugochinyere’s statement represented a personal position rather than an official declaration.