Senator Imasuen,
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a petition before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), seeking the disbarment of Senator Nedamwem Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, over allegations of fraud and disregard for a court order.
The petition, dated March 20 and submitted to the LPDC on March 24, alleges that Imasuen was previously disbarred in the United States over professional misconduct.
Akpoti-Uduaghan claims that “the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, had previously found Imasuen guilty of fraud, misappropriation of client funds, and failure to comply with disciplinary authorities.”
According to her, the Edo South senator was disbarred on May 10, 2010, following a complaint by a client, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of abandoning her case despite collecting substantial legal fees.
To support her claim, she submitted a copy of the Justia New York Case Law 2010 and pledged to provide further evidence during the hearing.
She argues that “he did not disclose his disbarment either in his Form EC-9 he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while contesting for office and eventually became the senator representing Edo South Senatorial District.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan insists that such a history of professional misconduct makes Imasuen unfit to chair the Senate Ethics Committee, stating that “this position requires unquestionable integrity.”
Beyond the fraud allegations, Akpoti-Uduaghan is also seeking disciplinary action against Imasuen for allegedly defying a court order.
She claims that the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, had on March 4 restrained Imasuen’s committee from investigating her over alleged misconduct at a Senate plenary in February.
However, “the Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions Committee led by the Respondent proceeded, in blatant disobedience of the said ex-parte order, to conduct its investigation on March 5, 2025, regarding my alleged misconduct during the Senate plenary session of 20 February 2025.”
She further stated that, “in a concerning display of procedural bias, the same Senate committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions chaired by the Respondent proceeded with the purported investigation and recommended me for sanctions.”
The committee, she claims, submitted its report to the Senate on March 6, leading to her six-month suspension, which included the withdrawal of her salary, allowances, security aides, and access to Senate premises.
She maintains that this action was taken despite a “subsisting interim court order from the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/25), restraining the Senate and its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions from proceeding with any investigation against me pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”
To back her petition, she submitted a video as evidence of Imasuen’s alleged disregard for the court order.
“A copy of the video showing the Respondent openly disregarding the Orders of a court of competent jurisdiction under reference along with the Certificate of Compliance with Section 84 of the Evidence Act is herein annexed as Exhibit NATASHA 6.”
She further argued that “this blatant disobedience of a binding and subsisting court order under a misguided belief constitutes contempt of court and a clear violation of legal ethics, as enshrined in Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023, which mandates that a lawyer shall always treat the Court with respect, dignity, and honour.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Imasuen of bias in handling a petition she had earlier filed against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alleging sexual harassment.
According to her, “rather than ensuring a fair and impartial inquiry into the matter, the committee dismissed the petition on procedural grounds, declaring it ‘dead on arrival’ due to the fact I personally signed same and the fact that the matter was sub judice.”
She also noted that “in a concerning display of procedural bias, the Respondent as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions proceeded to entertain a petition, investigate and ultimately sanction me for alleged misconduct, culminating in my six-month suspension from the Senate after acknowledging the existence of an order of court.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan insists that Imasuen’s conduct demonstrates “blatant defiance of a binding order of court” and violates the Rules of Professional Conduct for legal practitioners.
She pointed out that Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, 2023, mandates that “a lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster the course of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a Legal Practitioner.”
She concluded by emphasizing that Imasuen, as Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, should not have presided over the proceedings against her, especially after dismissing her own petition against Akpabio on procedural grounds.
She believes his actions undermine the credibility of the committee and called on the LPDC to take appropriate action.
