The embattled senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has taken legal action against the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Nedamwem Imasuen, seeking his disbarment from the legal profession in Nigeria.
Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a petition before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), alleging that Imasuen was previously disbarred in the United States for professional misconduct. According to the petition, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, had on May 10, 2010, indicted and debarred Imasuen over fraud, misappropriation of client funds, and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities.
To support her claims, Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted a copy of the 2010 Justia New York Case Law titled Matter of Imasuen and vowed to present further official records at the trial. She alleged that Imasuen was disbarred following a complaint from a former client, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of abandoning her case despite receiving substantial legal fees.
The senator further claimed that after losing his legal license in the U.S., Imasuen relocated to Nigeria, continued presenting himself as a legal practitioner, and entered politics, eventually securing a Senate seat representing Edo South. She also argued that he failed to disclose his disbarment when contesting for public office and later assumed the leadership of the Senate Ethics Committee—a role that demands the highest level of integrity.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition comes amid tensions between the two senators, following her six-month suspension from the Senate, a decision overseen by Imasuen’s committee. She accused him of disregarding a Federal High Court order that restrained the committee from proceeding with disciplinary actions against her.
As the LPDC reviews the petition, the case is expected to spark debates on ethical standards in the Senate and the integrity of public officeholders in Nigeria.
