From Godwin Tsa Abuja
The suspended Kogi Central’s representative at the Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has formally lodged a petition with the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, seeking the disbarment of Senator Nedamwen Bernards Imasuen from the Nigerian Bar.
Senator Imasuen, representing Edo South in the 10th Assembly is the Chairman, Public Petition and Ethics, a committee that recommended the six months suspension of Senator Natasha.
In her petition against Imasuen, Natasha highlighted allegations of professional misconduct, claiming that Imasuen was previously disbarred from the New York Bar for fraud, misappropriation of client funds and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities.
According to the petition, Imasuen was permanently disbarred by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division and Second Department on May 10, 2010, following a complaint by Daphne Slyfield, a client who accused him of misappropriating legal fees.
The court found him guilty of multiple breaches of professional conduct, leading to the revocation of his legal license in the United States.
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that despite his disbarment, Imasuen relocated to Nigeria and continued presenting himself as a legal practitioner, while venturing into politics.
He was eventually elected as the senator representing Edo South and appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, a role requiring unimpeachable integrity.
The petition further stated that Imasuen failed to disclose his disbarment in his FORM EC-9 – Particulars of Personal Information submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before contesting for public office.
She claimed that her six-month suspension from the senate was orchestrated by Imasuen in defiance to a court order.
On March 4, 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwatu, issued an interim order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions from proceeding with an investigation against her regarding alleged misconduct during a senate plenary session on February 20, 2025.
Despite being served the court order on March 5, 2025, the Edo senator and his committee proceeded with the investigation, leading to her suspension on March 6, 2025.
In her petition, the Kogi senator described Imasuen’s actions as contempt of court, citing Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2023), which mandates that lawyers must always treat the court with respect, dignity and honour.
She further accused him of procedural bias, stating that he dismissed her petition alleging sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio on procedural grounds, while actively pursuing disciplinary action against her.
She argued that Imasuen’s defiance to a subsisting court order and his unethical conduct violate Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (2023), which mandates lawyers to uphold the rule of law and maintain high professional standards.
She contended that under Rule 74(1) of the RPC, 2023, his actions constitute professional misconduct, warranting his removal from the roll of barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.